To Die or Not to die
by Tabby Phobos
Summary: Shounen aishoujo ai. Rating for swearing. Various known characters just don't die... and they seem to both have their sights set on different members of the crew...
1. A healthy argument...

Author's note: Hi there! Alrighty, I'm sure you just want to get on with the fic but I'm telling you now, there's going to be a lot more to it later, so don't you worry! ^_^ This fic is mostly going to be a shounen ai fic, may turn into a yaoi later, maybe not. Definitely will have shoujo ai in it though, it's part of the storyline. The shounen ai is going to be Gai+Akito (of course) and the Shoujo ai will be Itsuki+Ryoko. If you don't know who Itsuki is, she's Seelie, but Itsuki is her original name (or so I've been told) so I'm just going to stick with that, oki? May also have a bit of Yurika and Megumi bashing, but that's okay, I hate them. Munetake too, but who really likes him anyway? This fic starts in Episode 3. And it got the rating it did because of language… Mostly on Uribatake, Ryoko, and Akatsuki's part. Nadesico is owned by ADV and Xebec and the original concepts are by Kia Asamiya. This fic is MINE, got it? Anyway, on to the fanfic. ^_^ 

~*~ 

The blasts were nothing compared to a real earthquake, but they shook the Nadesico so much, it might as well have been. They certainly knocked Captain Misumaru Yurika on her behind several times on her way down to the hallway of the dorms. She was headed to her childhood friend, Tenkawa Akito's room, which he shared with his friend Yamada Jiro, or, rather, Gai Daigohji. 

A few days ago, when Yurika walked in Akito dressing, he had made it very clear that she could only come in when the door was unlocked. "When it is locked, Yurika, I usually have a good reason for it to be locked," he had said to her, and Yurika, being in love with him and all, respected his openness with her and promised not to come in when the door was locked. She had no qualms about entering with knocking though… 

The metal door slid open quite easily, as if it said to her, "Oh, of course, go right in. We've been expecting you." She put on her best smile and called out to the darkened room, "Aki~to~!" 

"JYOU!" was the answer, though it didn't sound much like Akito. Too deep. "Huh?" Yurika started to walk into the room, but heard a noise like sobbing. 'What on earth..' she thought as she paused, making sure it was sobbing, and then venturing further. When she made it completely into the room, she found her beloved Akito and Gai embracing each other, bawling. "What are you doing in here?" 

Akito cried out, almost as if to answer her, "My poor Jyou! He sacrificed himself! OH THE HUMANITY!" He broke down again, letting go of Gai to cover his face with his hands. 

Yurika suddenly noticed they were watching Gekiganger 3, the show Akito liked on Mars. She didn't really like that show, because Akito would sit and watch it and wouldn't play with her when it was on. 

"You see?" That other voice cut through Yurika's thoughts. "You see it don't you? You understand!" He hugged her Akito again, and Yurika felt her heart fall into her stomach. 

"Oh thank you! Thank you for showing me the light!" Yurika shook her head. They were just comforting each other, that's all. 'Nothing to get afraid about, Yurika. Calm down.' 

"Oh, you're welcome…" Yurika sighed. 'All this over anime?' 

"How can they pick that over me in a kimono?" she whispered to herself, letting herself out of the room. 

~*~ 

Akito was calming down, still sniffing and slowing his breath. Gai, blowing his nose, was putting his projector and tapes away in his "safe place," which was really just a shoebox lined with bubble wrap. For a while the room was pretty quiet, with Gai just humming the theme. Then his voice cut through the near-silence. 

"So… Whadja think?" 

"Huh?" Akito got so intense on concentrating on the silence; the question cut him off guard. "You mean, about Episode 27? Oh… Well… I hate it." 

This answer hit Gai like a brick. "Huh!? What do you mean, 'I hate it'?!" 'That ungrateful little fry-cook, I'll never let him watch my tapes again…' 

Akito looked down at his lap, his eyes tracing the veins on his hands that lazily rested there. "I hate it because… one of the heroes died." 

"Duh! That's the point! It's plot, ya know?!" 

"Well, yes, but… Did they have to kill off someone to make the story go on? If he hadn't died, would Gekiganger be over as we know it?" 

"It made him a hero, Akito!"

"That's exactly why I don't like to fight!" 

"Baka! You're just scared! You'd be a great pilot if you'd just shove your fear away!" 

Akito was quiet. He didn't have any response. 'I'm scared because… I don't want to die. I really don't. Not as a hero, not as a victim, not at all. If people in anime die, then real people die. Oh, God, Akito, don't be an idiot, you know your parents are dead. I don't want to die…' 

"Are you going to say anything?" 

Akito placed his forehead in the heels of his hands, his fingers threading into his hair. "No." His voice was shaky, as if he was going to cry again. Gai's eyebrows knit together. 

"… You okay?" Gai was almost afraid of the answer. 'Oh, crap, what if I made him cry?' 

"… I'm afraid. You're right, Gai-san. I'm… scared. I'm scared shitless. That's why I'm a cook. Nothing but an insignificant cook. Just because I'm afraid to die." His voice faltered, but his head pulled up, his hands traveling over his face and stopping in prayer position at his mouth. 

Gai sat down cross-legged on his futon. "But everybody dies. You just have to live your life so that when you die, people remember you, so you still live on. Get what I'm sayin'?" 

"Yes, but that's what happened to my parents. They… They were scientists, working on what the called 'The Artifact' for Nergal. Then, I come home from saying goodbye to Yurika, and I find that their lab was destroyed. Blown up. Just because they knew things others didn't…" 

Gai scratched his chin. "Doesn't sound like you're afraid of dying to me… Just afraid of being killed." 

Akito looked at him again, for the first time seeing the caring person underneath the Gekiganger fan. But still, he continued. "You accept that everyone dies, even that you're going to die, but you're afraid of fighting, because you might die. But that's not it. You just want to be killed. Being what you call 'an insignificant cook' keeps you from that right?" He sat in silence for a bit, thinking. Akito couldn't even begin to guess what he was thinking. 

Suddenly, a communications window opened, and Megumi's smiling face appeared. "We're entering the range of the third defense line! Pilots can now launch!" It disappeared just as suddenly, and Gai stood up. He walked as far as the turn-off to the door, before turning and looking at the Martian pilot. 

"It's something of a shame. You have a lot of talent as a pilot. Hell, them back at the Kawasaki base woulda taken one look at your stats and put you in third year. Just, do me a favor. I'll go, but you watch Episode 27 again. This time, try to think of what you would prefer, dying old and wishing you had contributed a bit more to the war, or being killed knowing you were doing what was right." He gave him one more reassuring smile before leaving. 

Akito thought a bit, mostly about his roommate's words, before venturing into the shoebox for the projector and the disk marked "Episode 27." 

TBC… 

A/N: So, what did you think? Was it stupid? Did you like it? Should I be locked up? Review please! ^_^ I'll give you invisible candy if you do… 


	2. A connection revealed...

A/N: Hi again! Well, since I got just such a nice and helpful review last time (thanks Drew ^_^), I've decided to grace you all with another chapter! ^_^ In this chapter, we explain a certain UE Spacey lieutenant's role in this story, and, as always, there's still going to be mucho shounen ai and the shoujo ai will be coming up, I swear! For new readers, I'd go check Chapter 1 for the disclaimer. This chapter happens during episode 4 and 5. Anyway, on to the fic.

~*~

The casing that held the assault pit of Akito's Aestivalis opened, the cheering maintenance crew greeting him. After the Uribatake got the team settled, Akito began to leave the hangar bay, but he saw a certain someone. A certain Megumi Reinard, who really isn't supposed to be away from her post, but wanted to come congratulate Akito. She ran up to him, her high heels clicking on the metal floor. She flung her arms around his shoulders, giving him a sort of a hug. "Congratulations! You did it! I'm so very proud of you." She smiled, her freckles seeming to come out even more, making her look like a little girl.

Akito smiled back, though, with his friend was dead, gone forever. "I… couldn't have done it without your help." It was true though. Megumi made him realize that people like to hide their feelings, to avoid being hurt. On this trip, Akito was learning a lot about being a person.

Megumi blushed at this praise. Unknowingly to everyone, including herself, she had a crush on Akito since he came on the ship. "I shouldn't be down here, should I?" She knew she shouldn't, but Akito seemed nice enough to not turn her in. 'I hope he is, at least.'

"Oh! Er, no, it's okay." 'Well, I shouldn't turn her in, it doesn't seem like the right thing to do right now…' Megumi looked up at him, trying to read his eyes. "A… Akito?" she questioned. She decided that now was the best time to do this, the perfect time, the most romantic time. Her blue eyes slid closed, and she leaned upwards.

Akito's own eyes got bigger. 'Uh-oh, she's just like Yurika. But… I suppose I owe it to her, after all… She helped me gain the courage to fight again… But just once, then that's all.' He leaned forward and kissed her, and she seemed to be very satisfied with that.

~*~

Gai was one of the ones who had a personalized funeral request. Since Yurika had hidden herself in the meditation room, Aoi Jun had to perform the ceremony of burial at space. It was open coffin at first though, so everyone who hadn't known him could see him before they could send him off. Subaru Ryoko, Amano Hikaru, and Maki Izumi were of those who went to memorize his face, but Akito went as well. He wasn't sure why, but he wanted to see the face of his best friend, one last time.

Ryoko didn't seem to be to upset, Hikaru looked at least a bit sad, but Izumi was the most detached. They didn't hear any crazy puns from her during the funerals. It was as if she knew the people personally, and each and every death had affected her.

Akito got to the coffin, and he was almost certain he was going to be sick. They had dressed him in his uniform, as if to say that he died for Nergal. 'He didn't die for anyone. He died because some idiot shot him. He didn't want to go like this,' was all that Akito could think as he gazed upon Gai's face. 'Heh, Gai, you really deteriorate well. You'd think you were still alive, looking at you, if you didn't know you were…' Akito couldn't even bring himself to think it. A single teardrop escaped his eye and slid down his face. It fell onto Gai's own cheek, and traveled downward further, until it was absorbed into his hair. Akito pulled himself away from the casket, and couldn't watch as they sent it off into space, into oblivion.

~*~

Lieutenant Kazamo Itsuki was so sick of her job on the Lunar Theatre Base she could kill someone. Ever since the Nadesico broke through the Big Barrier, the UE Spacey had pulled back attempts to stop them. Instead, they ordered those at the Lagrange Point Colonies and the Lunar Theatre to watch their actions until they reached Mars. Nothing much seemed to be happening, except that occasionally the Nadesico would drop off a bit of debris. Scanning jobs from Itsuki's team proved that these were identified caskets of bodies, mostly from the Lagrange Point 2 Colony, Satsuki Midori. Itsuki had heard that the Nadesico's current pilots, minus one Tenkawa Akito, were all from that Colony, which she assumed was as ironic as hell.

Resting her head in a hand, Itsuki started the scanning again. 'Gee, let's see who else the Jovians have killed now.' Names and records started to flood her screens. Hoshiko Mani. Minnade Idearu. Yamada Jiro. Shitaru Tsukiyoshi.

Itsuki's sleepy brown eyes scanned the screens, then widened. She went through scanning that area again. 'I couldn't have just seen that name, no way in hell…' Sure enough, there it was. Yamada Jiro. October 24, 2178 – October 25, 2196. Japan, Earth. 'Heh. I've seen the date of death on him change many, many times. Seems that he still has a little problem of suspended animation…' She pinpointed exactly which box was he, and, with a few other shuttles as cover, went out to collect it.

~*~

"Kazamo, just what are you doing with a dead body?"

That was the first response Itsuki got from her captain. Usually, they were very casual about their jobs, but she had gone out and picked up a random casket as it was drifting in space with no real apparent excuse. The fact that she couldn't come up with one that would be believable didn't help either.

"Captain, I happen to know this dead body from my childhood. From my past experiences, I happen to have it on good knowledge that this body is not dead." Captain Nadeketo Sateru glared at the best pilot in his crew. For someone with so much respect for him, Itsuki was a very stubborn person. "It says in this report he was shot through the lung. Although it seems he's been completely patched up, he is still dead, Itsuki."

"No! He isn't! I know it! Look, it's November 17, is it not? He's been dead for nearly a month! He looks as if he's been dead for a day, if that! Can you explain that?" The purple haired lieutenant was fuming. Not only did her commanding officer not believe her, but was willing to send him back out into space. "Isn't it obvious Captain? His body's in near perfect shape, but you still believe he's dead? I've known this idiot since I was three, I would know of his condition, and it is suspended animation! He's been out for weeks before, presumed dead, but then he awoken and was perfectly fine!"

Nadeteko sighed. "Fine, Itsuki. Whatever. We'll put him in the infirmary until the UE finds something real for us to do, all right?"

Itsuki smiled. "You won't regret this, Sir." She directed the other officers to carry the casket to the infirmary. Hopefully, they had some real tools in there.

~*~

A/N: Well, how was that one? Was that to everyone's satisfaction? And just how does Itsuki know Gai? Read and review to find out! ^_^ 


	3. A suspension lifted...

A/N: It's the attack of the cat again! As always, this will be both Shounen ai and Shoujo ai, but not so much in this part. Oh, and we get to see some friction between the lunar lieutenant and our little guy in pause. ^_^ and the disclaimer is still in chapter 1, and yes, I would definitely worry about language here. Itsuki isn't a very clean girly. ^_^ this happens after episode 7 and during 8. Enjoy!

~*~

"I'm what?!?" cried Itsuki, her usually pale face going red, then purple, with rage. Nadeketo shook his head. Itsuki was far too predictable. "You're being reassigned," he repeated, a little slower as to not upset her even more, "to Yokosuka Bay. They think that your services would be much better there."

'I can't believe this stupid shit. I am obviously one of the best pilots in the base…' "Why is that?!? Is it because the Nadesico just disappeared from Mars a few days ago? Or maybe it's because I went and recovered the body of a person I knew? Or maybe since they can't say that their best pilot in Lunar Theatre is female, they might as well send her elsewhere like they did the Three Angels of SM2?!?"

"Lieutenant Kazamo. You know these statements aren't true. Simply, the UE is keeping things from us. You know how those idiots work, they withhold info, and usually a battle is going to happen, a big one. They want to make their division look better. They're sending you off because they want you for later purposes. They don't want you killed."

"If I'm so good, I should be kept here for the battle!" Itsuki knew what her Captain meant though. The UE Spacey was nothing more than a large food chain, with nothing in the middle, everyone feeding off each other. Those who went with whatever was ordered were either at the top or the bottom.

"You know it doesn't work that way," Nadeketo straightened, looking a lot more official than usual. "You have your orders, lieutenant, you and Yamada are to report to the Commander of Yokosuka Bay as soon as possible." He turned and walked away, leaving Itsuki in the infirmary.

The violet-head just stared at the door, unknowing of how something like this could happen. Then she turned to the Gekiganger fan, still in his coma, on the bed. "Well, asshole, I guess we get to go back to Earth now. Your things should have gotten there by now, ne?"

~*~

Eight months later…

~*~

Akito was having a wonderful dream. He couldn't really remember what it was about, but he was really enjoying it. But then, the next thing he knew, he was being awaken by Yurika pulling on half his body, however, he was still half-asleep. It wasn't until about ten minutes later, after Yurika was scolded by the Admiral of the Gladiolus, that he figured out he was sleeping more near Inez Frassange then near Yurika.

'Jesus Christ, if Yurika got all flipped out about that, you'd think she'd be more worried about me and Gai sleeping in the same room…' He shook his head, pushing thoughts about the other Gekiganger fan, his deceased best friend, out, focusing on fighting. However, the memories didn't leave like they usually did this time. They kept flashing back. Ai, Gai's death, the Utopia colony, Gai helping the Nadesico break through the Big Barrier, Admiral Fukube, Gai's words…

~*~

"-And I don't care what you say! He doesn't look anymore dead now than he did when I brought him here back in November! …I'm aware of that… Look, he's ready to come out of suspension any minute now! …Fuck you! Go to hell!" There was a loud beep, as if an angry person closed a private communications window. If a fully aware person analyzed the situation, it would be obvious that it was exactly that. But that's not who was analyzing the situation, it just happened to be a very groggy pilot that just had a very long nap.

A single gray-brown eye opened very slowly. Rays of light hit it instantly, and, after being void of it so long, the eye closed against the harsh brightness. A soft groan escaped his lips, as if the person was angry at being awoken.

Itsuki gasped. 'He's awake! Screw you, you bastard doctors!' She turned around and faced the bed, before going and turning down the lights. "About time you woke up, Jiro."

Gai reopened his eyes, and once he caught sight of the purple-haired pilot, groaned again, lifting an arm to cover his eyes. "You're definitely not the best sight to wake up to, Itsuki…" He coughed, and then shakily lifted himself into a sitting position. "What happened?"

Itsuki shook her head. "Apparently, you got your dumbass shot, and your crew presumed you dead. Good thing I found your casket floating in space scanning the debris or you would be really dead by now." She crossed her arms and put on a smug smile. She knew he wouldn't thank her. They agreed to disagree long ago, before he quit and joined the Nadesico and before she was stationed at the Lunar Theatre.

Gai started to rub his eyes. He felt pretty weak and very, very thirsty. "Can I get some water?" Itsuki already had some cups, so she just got some out of the faucet. After about two cups of the liquid, Gai actually felt up to talking again. "So what's been going on?"

Itsuki sat down in a chair by the door of the hospital room. "The guy who shot you confessed and was court-martialed. The Satsuki Midori Colony at Lagrange Point 2 was attacked by the Jovians and is devastated. We should be entering the fourth battle of the Moon, and no, we aren't there, we're at Yokosuka Bay." The way she said the name of the base hinted that there was some anger about the fact that they were very close to home, but Gai didn't question it. He just nodded. "And the Nadesico?"

Itsuki shrugged. "Nergal has realigned itself with the UE. The Nadesico made it to Mars, but disappeared a few days later. We think they went into a chulip, but they haven't been seen since. That was eight months ago."

Gai's eyes widened and he looked as if he was about to jump out of the bed. "What?!? Eight months?!?"

Itsuki smiled slightly. "You heard correctly, Jiro." She always called him by his given name. She enjoyed pissing him off.

"You're joking. You are so joking." He looked her in the face. "Oh my god. You aren't joking." She slowly shook her head. He covered his eyes again. "Shit."

"Why are you so worried? Not much has happened…" She stood up again and turned the lights up again. "The Nadesico did get three new pilots. Amano Hikaru, she's otaku like you, Maki Izumi, she's lost two lovers, and Subaru Ryoko…" She smiled distantly at the name of the last one.

"Great. Now I get to sit here and listen to you ramble on about your latest infatuation. Wonderful." He sighed, and then laid back down. "Eight months… so much could have happened…"

"Speaking of rambling about infatuations," Itsuki glared at him, as if he personally insulted her. Which he did. "I don't want to hear it from you either."

"My stuff did get sent back here, right?" Itsuki nodded. "As much as they could get away from that Martian… And that's not what I meant."

Gai rolled on to his side and closed his eyes. "Whatever."

TBC…

~*~

A/N: He will survive, he will survive! Hehe. Do you understand what Itsuki meant? What does Itsuki know about Ryoko? And why did Akito suddenly freak around the same time Gai woke up? Not all these questions will be answered immediately, however, they will at some point! ^_^ Thanks for the support, y'all!


	4. A revelation hidden...

A/N: I'm back! I think that's enough Itsuki and Gai characterization for now! ^_^ I know, I'm evil, leaving them at a cliffhanger and all. ^_^ Oh well, we kinda left Akito hanging in the dust (yes, I'm aware that made no sense), so we're going to go through most of the Megumi and Yurika trying to win him scenes, where they OBVIOUSLY are unsuccessful ^_^ Well, on to our little Martian's thoughts about these girls coming on to him! (maybe even a little Ryoko shmuff too. ^_^) Starts off in Episode 8 and continues until Episode 10.

~*~

"Well… when I realized I needed to help you two… I suddenly wasn't afraid of fighting. Just like before." Akito didn't know why all of a sudden, he could do what he could to save his friends, but it was like a little voice said it was right.

"You mean your love overcame your fear?!" squealed Megumi, bending down to get a better look at him. Akito's eyes just got big, as if he was suddenly afraid again, only this time, afraid of the two girls in his assault pit.

"His love for who?" asked Yurika, giving Akito's shoulder a squeeze. 'No! I don't love either of you!' But he just couldn't voice his thoughts. Instead, he looked down at the monitor in front of him. Before, he had about an hour and a half of oxygen. But now…

"Knock it off! We only have about thirty minutes of oxygen left!" he exclaimed, and that pretty much shut them up. "Is that all?" replied Yurika actually looking worried.

"Well, we have three people, and just one ship…" answered Megumi. "Exactly." Akito started jettisoning pieces of his Aesti.

About five minutes later, the two girls were arguing over which one of them will jump off the ship. They had gotten pretty close to a slapfest before Akito just had a random thought. 'Gai… What would Gai do?' That little voice came back, "Why sacrifice your friends? Take a chance…" Akito nodded. "Deploying Solar Sail!"

"Wait, Akito! I'm supposed to jump off the ship, remember?" Yurika questioned, worriedly. 'If we all go, then we'll be dead before we get close to the Nadesico!' she thought.

"It's all right, we'll all go together. We'll make it through somehow, just like Gai said!" 'Wait, did he really say that? Oh, I must be going crazy…'

~*~

The yellow ribbon drifted to the floor, as if it were mocking the cook. His brown eyes were as big as saucers and he couldn't help but make some sound of protest. But what was attempted to be a squeak ended up as a scream.

Megumi softly pulled on the top of her shirt. "I wouldn't do this for anyone but you…" Her little role-play was interrupted with Akito smacking her hand away from its position. "You can't, Megumi! I mean…" He gulped. "I just can't let you do anything like this!" But Megumi wasn't listening. She just was playing with his button-down, slowly but surely getting it away from his body. Sure, he had another shirt on under the black one, but he felt like he was being royally violated. He even pulled it off to get out of her grip, and backed against the wall.

Megumi stepped back, smiled, and pulled her blue uniform top off, showing Akito a lot of her upper skin, but not the parts girls hid. She smiled and searched his face for a reaction, and what was registered was terror.

"Stop it!" He yelled, covering his face. Megumi was surprised, so surprised she lost her footing, and fell on the ground. "Don't you like me anymore, Akito?" she asked, softly. She was knocked completely out of her role-play.

"Um, yes, but…" 'Not the way you're thinking, Megumi. Come on, Akito! Say it!'

"But the truth is I love you, Akito! I do…" She closed her eyes and leaned up. Akito was in shock. 'She wants to be kissed. But, I don't owe her anything! I don't want to kiss her! She's just like Yurika…'

~*~

"Help me. Please, help me!" Yurika turned around, showing that she was crying. "I don't know who else to turn to anymore, except you. Or do you hate me now too?" A single tear dripped off her face, and fell onto her chest.

"Um…" Akito shook his head, clearing his mind. "You don't just have me, Yurika. Jun loves you, you know. I'm sure he's not angry with you." 'You owe me, Aoi. And if you kiss me, I'm going to kill you.'

"No, I'm sure he is. I'm such a klutz. I can't do anything right…" She sniffed. Akito thought back to his dream, his memory. 'She kissed me then, and it made me normal. I didn't like it at all; it was gross, but maybe it'll make her normal…' "I…" He swallowed. "I know a trick that will help!" Yurika looked up at him, reading his eyes, not exactly comprehending what was there. He slowly moved down, a little shakily, as if he wasn't sure of himself.

Yurika put her hand up in the way just in time. "Hold it. You're not just don't this because you feel sorry for me, are you?" Akito blinked. "Excuse me? Um… actually… I was going to because you wanted me to…"

But Yurika didn't hear that part. She just went on about how she asked for a kiss on Mars, but he didn't deliver, and how she had never been kissed before. All Akito was thinking, though, was about how, kissing must be considered a more precious thing than it really was. 'Oh, whoop-de-doo, two person's lips are together. So? It doesn't mean much unless the people both love each other! I don't love any of the girls here… They're very good friends, yes, but I don't love them…'

~*~

After Ryoko had, literally, beat the living crap out the "spider" that came out of the transportation chulip, Megumi and Yurika had tried to help Akito up, but to no avail. They, apparently, really were the dainty girls they played out to be. Ryoko lifted him up with her Aesti. Yurika and Megumi went back to the beach to gather everyone up and somehow drag them from the beach. Ryoko immediately opened a communications window straight to Akito.

"What the hell were you thinking, running off with that crazy girl? Didn't your mother ever tell you not to talk to strangers?" Akito sighed and leaned back into the giant robotic hand. "Look, I know. What I did was stupid. Will you please stop yelling at me for it?"

Ryoko's black eyebrows went together. "What made you think that girl…" Ryoko had to hand it to Aqua Crimson. She made Akito think, for once.

"Because I'm a stupid idiot." "Huh?" was the only reply Ryoko had. She stopped her Aesti completely to concentrate on what he was saying.

"I'm an idiot who cares far too much about a stupid robot show." He covered his face with his hands, as if he didn't want Ryoko to look at him while he was admitting this to her. "But I have to care about it. I have to. It's the only way he's alive! If I stop, he… he'll die in my heart…" His shoulders shook, very raggedly, as if he was sobbing, but no sound of the like came from the window.

Ryoko lowered her tone, so that she wouldn't be yelling. "Who, Akito?" He looked up, and Ryoko instantly felt really bad. 'Fuck… What the hell is this all about anyway? Some guy he knew or something…' Click.

"Akito… dude… I never would have thought…" "Thought what?!?" he yelled.

Ryoko sat back in her seat and smiled. "You don't even know yourself, yet? You know, now that I think of it, it's pretty obvious. But if you don't know what I'm talking about, you should figure it out on your own. You don't learn anything if the teacher gives you all the answers." Her Aesti started walking again, and the window closed. 'Heh… That really is strange. Well, at least I can have the gratification of being the first chaser of him to discover the truth…'

TBC…

~*~

A/N: Bwahahahaaaaa!!!!! What does Ryoko mean, do you think? I certainly got Akito out of her mind very crappily. Oh well. In the next Chapter, we get to see Gai go insane with boredom, sitting at home. And… Itsuki meets Ryoko! And Akito and Gai reunite! Don't you dare even think of missing the next chapter, or I may be forced to take desperate measures… 


	5. A set of change...

A/N: I forgot to mention in the preview for this chapter… We're at the perfect time for an interlude! ^_^ Occasionally we'll have these, just as a warning. Trust me, it is part of the fic, explains some of the things that are going on with the minor-y characters, and introduce some along the way. Anyway, yes, Akito and Gai do meet up again, and for those of you that have been reading it just for the Itsuki and Ryoko shmuff, let the flirtation commence! ^_^ This starts off at the end of Episode 12 and continues into Episode 13, but not the end of the episode 13 just yet. ^_^

~*~

(Ruri Interlude)

A small communications window popped up, only it didn't show a face, only words. Ruri looked down, trying to be discreet. The window read: "Those unforgettable days, for them, I live." Obviously a message from Omoikane. Ruri smiled. "Yes. How very true." The message changed, from its poetic thought, to a question.

"Ruri-sama, is my body near completion?" Ruri gasped slightly, she had nearly forgotten. She opened another window, showing Uribatake. "Uribatake-san? Omoikane wants to know if his body is nearly finished. Could you please tell me?"

Uribatake sighed. "Ruri-chan, I think you better tell Omoikane it's not going to be anytime really soon. I'm sorry. Perhaps after the new year he'll be done."

Ruri blinked. "I didn't expect it so soon… Thank you, Uribatake-san."

"No problem, Ruri-chan. No problem at all." The window beeped closed. Ruri placed her hands on the console again, relaying the message to Omoikane.

"Yay!" is what all the windows that popped up near her said. She had to fight to close them all.

"Calm down, Omoikane-chan. We can't have anyone else know you're still yourself until you're finished, then they can't do much of anything."

~*~

'Five months. Five months have gone by. In total… 13 months. A whole year and another month added on to that! What have I done? Nothing! I've just sat here on my ass and done nothing!' Gai continued to just sit on the floor, folding yet another paper plane to throw out the window as he thought back to about three months ago, when he was finally realized from Yokosuka hospital and sent to Itsuki's apartment.

~*~

"Itsuki, just what did you mean about my 'infatuation'? Gekiganger has been getting a little boring lately…" Gai had said in the car. The last two months had been a blur, of testing, resting, healing, and such.

"I wasn't talking about your fucked-up little robot anime, Jiro. Do you think that's why you want to get back to the Nadesico as soon as possible? Baka." Gai had glanced at her again. "Then tell me, oh wondrous psychic, why do I want to get back on the Nadesico?"

Itsuki had almost completely stopped the car. "You're just like me, Jiro." "What does that mean?" he had replied. She had just smiled.

"You know about me, I'm not a follower of the straight and narrow. Obviously, you aren't either."

Gai's eyes had bugged out of his head. "What?!? Okay, look, I know you're a lesbian, but just because you're gay doesn't mean I am."

She had shaken her head. "I've had more girlfriends than you could ever dream to have. You've never had one! Not one!"

"Maybe I'm not ready!" he had snarled at her. She hadn't even blinked. "Ready for what? Ready for sex? Ready for kissing? Ready for a relationship? Or maybe you're just not ready to be fucking serious for once! Goddamn it, Jiro. Most guys your age have fucked at least two chicks, dreamt about many, and said things like, 'Oh, damn, she's hot!'! You've never done anything of the like that, ever! And don't pull that, 'You were at the Lunar Theatre, you wouldn't know' shit, I know!"

It had taken Gai a few minutes to recover from her outburst. "…Where are you getting your evidence, Itsuki?"

Itsuki had started concentrating more on the road. "For example… you're always going on about getting back to the Nadesico… You've also told me just about everything there is to hear about that little Martian cook…"

Gai had looked out the window. "He's older than me, Itsuki."

"That's beside the point, and there you go again." Gai had glared at her again. "He's just a good friend!"

"Uh-huh. I've heard that before, out of my own mouth, in fact."

~*~

Gai shook his head, his dark brown hair getting in his eyes again. 'Crap, I need a haircut badly.' He took his newly folded airplane to the window, only to drop it as he saw something in the sky he never thought he would see again.

The Nadesico.

The door of the apartment opened and closed. Itsuki stood there, one hand on a hip. "That's not the only thing you should be excited about, Mr. 'You-wouldn't-know'."

Gai turned around to see she held a paper out, with UE stamping on it. "According to this, I'm being reassigned… Again." She sighed. "Only, I'm being assigned onto the Nadesico… To replace a certain Tenkawa Akito." She looked up and did her little smug smile. "Who is, in fact, being kicked off the ship because he's an amateur."

Gai's jaw went slack. "He… he's here?"

Itsuki smacked her forehead. "Not now you idiot. The Nadesico just got here, I need to go report, get my uniform and such. I'm already packed… Why don't you drive me over there? I'll help you out, and you can give Tenkawa-san a place to crash."

Gai could only nod numbly. 'Holy shit. Akito is going to be coming here! Here! Wait a second…' "He thinks I'm still dead. This isn't going to work Itsuki…"

"Sure it is. Trust me. This is perfect… Now I get to meet up with that beautiful, sexy pilot Ryoko…" Gai just rolled his eyes and grabbed Itsuki's keys.

~*~

"Um… so what are you going to do, Akito?" questioned Megumi, as if her entire decision weighed on his shoulders. 'Goddamn it, I don't love her, can't she see that?'

"Well, I wasn't really wanting to become a fully-fledged soldier, but –"

"Oh, you won't have anything to worry about," interrupted Munetake. "I won't?" 'I don't understand…'

"No. We just couldn't leave a giant robot in the hands of an amateur forever, and we've already gotten a superb pilot as your replacement." A click of heels, and then a girl around Yurika's height was standing by the UE Spacey officials.

"Lieutenant Kazamo Itsuki, graduated third in class at Kawasaki Academy, served at Kawasaki, Lunar Theatre, and Yokosuka Bay. Pleased to meet you, Captain Misumaru." She saluted, and then bowed to show her respect. She scanned the crew, as if looking for someone. First she smiled, smugly, almost indecently, and then she straightened up, as if duty smacked her in the face again. She walked with a clink of her new metal high heels to Akito. Itsuki held out a hand. "It's a shame we have to lose you, Tenkawa-san. Of course, though, you can see that this is the best thing for both of us." She smiled again. Akito did really not like her smile, but took her hand anyway.

"It's a shame I won't be able to try your cooking." She saluted him, and then leaned forward a bit. She whispered, so that only he could hear, "There's someone outside we both know, but you haven't seen in a while. I suggest that, when you leave, go with him. It'll give you a place to sleep, at least." She quickly stepped away and made a beeline for Ryoko. Akito was thoroughly confused, but went to collect his things anyway.

~*~

Ryoko wasn't really paying much attention to what was going on. 'Yeah… Tenkawa's being kicked off, but it doesn't really matter, I know his secret. And some girl's replacing him…' She was just telling the ever-teasing Hikaru and Izumi that she isn't interested in that retard, when, in a flash of red and purple, the new recruit was in front of her.

She looked out the side of her eye. "Um… hello?"

Itsuki smiled again. Then she looked at Ryoko from head to toe, as if she were checking her out. 'No way is she doing that though…' "Excellent. Exactly as I thought. A little toned, not too buff though. Uneven haircut, dyed vibrant green…" She smiled wider.

Ryoko's eyebrows knit. "What are you doing?!?" she growled.

A soft chuckle as the other two Angels left, possibly to leave them alone. 'I'll have to thank them later,' considered Itsuki. "Oh, nothing really. Just checking you out, is that so wrong?" Ryoko's jaw went slack, and Itsuki just smiled more, some of her perfect teeth showing this time. "I know much about you Ryoko. More than you know. You've made me obsessed before you've even spoken to me. Congratulations." Itsuki had grasped her hand somewhere in this monologue, and then brought it to her lips, kissing the callused knuckles.

Ryoko gasped, then ripped her hand from Itsuki's grip. "You… stay away from me!" she yelled, before running off. Itsuki's dark brown eyes gleamed, as if satisfied with the challenge.

"I will win you, Ryoko. I want you more than I've wanted anyone else."

~*~

Akito stared straight ahead as he walked his bike off the dock the Nadesico was at. Itsuki's words ran through his mind, about someone they both knew. 'But… there's only one person from this planet I know, that isn't already on the Nadesico, other than Saizo-san… But he isn't here…' A very familiar voice, a voice Akito thought he would never hear again, interrupted the Martian cook's thoughts.

"Hey, fry-cook. What's up?"

Akito gasped, then stopped walking his bike. He didn't turn around, however, just looked down. "I… I've told myself that I've let go of you." He took a ragged breath. "Gai Daigohji is dead… He's dead… If I find that the person behind me… isn't who I think it is… I will scream." All this, he whispered to himself, but Gai heard it too.

"It is, Akito. It's a long story, but I'm fine. I haven't seen you in a year… please turn around?" The tone of that voice was somewhat sad, a little hopeful, and something of a pleading tone.

Akito took a deep breath, and slowly turned around. He saw exactly what he thought he would.

Gai Daigohji. Yamada Jiro. Standing there with his arms crossed, but with a distant look on his face. Never looking better, as if he was never hurt at all. As if his death certificate had never been signed.

"Oh god…" Akito let his bike fall over, as he sank to his knees. Gai rushed over, and helped the Martian up. "You okay, Akito?"

"Gee, I just turn around and there's my best friend who's supposed to be dead. How do you think I'm feeling?" Gai giggled, and took hold of his bike. "I'm supposing Itsuki told you everything, or at least a few pieces of it, so let's get to the apartment then, shall we?"

Akito took another deep breath, as if to calm himself, then nodded.

TBC…

~*~

A/N: Uweeheehee! I'm evil, yes. ^_^ Anyway, Itsuki seems to have a lot of lust going for Ryoko, doesn't she? And What's this deal with Omoikane? The next chapter will feature mostly Akito and Gai, so watch out for the cuteness, alrighty? 


	6. A plot appears...

A/N: (yawn) Hoo, boy, I have one of the WORST cases of Writer's block all of a sudden, so if this sucks, Gomen. In addition, I decided to do a little Jun interlude.This is STILL in Episode 13, and isn't going to be any farther than that. (Episode 13 is a very important episode to this fic. Many things happen in it. Many nice things ^_^) Anyway, this has mucho interaction. Mucho. So, I suggest you sit back, relax, and squeal with delight. ^_^

~*~

"How are you alive, anyway?" The question caught Gai off-guard, but it wasn't the question that did it, it was the tone. Gruff, hard, almost cold. 'Detached,' Gai thought. 'Damn… what has this deception done to him?'

"I wasn't dead, I was suspended." Akito didn't look up. If he did, he was sure he was going to have a nervous breakdown. Gai took another turn. "Whenever I usually had a serious injury as a kid, things like getting knocked out, getting my tonsils taken out, anything that made me go unconscious, I usually went comatose."

"Why?" 'That's right Akito. Guard yourself; just keep asking questions, and you'll be fine.'

"I'm still not sure. Those idiot doctors here could never figure it out. But, the deal was, I got shot and I went unconscious, right? I'm sure they thought they lost a pulse, right?" Akito nodded, and the Earthling sighed. "I suppose it is part of the suspension… But hey, there has to be something wrong with one of the pair, even if it is as stupid as suspended animation…"

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"Surely, she told you." Gai glanced at the fry-cook. "Well, I guess not. Itsuki and I were… acquaintances when we were kids. Stupid perfect bitch."

Akito averted his gaze from straight ahead to out the window. The window just happened to be covered by a communications window.

"Hello, Akito-kun." Erina Kinjo Won's voice was sickeningly sweet, as if she was trying to make it sound nice. "We'd like you to come over here for a moment. We have some things to discuss with you." A second window popped up with a map of Kawasaki.

Gai looked at Akito. "You want to?" Akito didn't seem to like this woman, whoever she was.

Akito leaned back in his chair. "Sure, why not?"

~*~

(Jun Interlude)

Jun's dark blue eyes watered a bit with the last bit, but damn, it was smooth. It made all his problems go away. Jun felt as if he was in college again, and felt up to dancing, but, alas, no one to dance with. So, he sighed.

Uribatake looked up, his eyes glazed over. He was obviously drunk already. "Whassa matter, Aoi?"

Jun shook his head. "Nothing you'd be interested in. Girl trouble." He looked off into nothingness, suddenly wanted to pass out right there.

"Oh, jeah. A've bin wantin' ta ask ya, whaz between you and the Cap'n, anywayz?"

Jun leaned his head on the table. "We were engaged."

"Were?"

"Yes, were!" His voice quivered a bit. "Ever since we got on the Nadesico, it's all been downhill. Maybe, perhaps, she doesn't even like me anymore?"

Uribatake messed up his hair. "Shin up, Keed. Find shome udder woe-man to google, and you'll be fine."

Jun just nodded. "Okay."

~*~

Itsuki walked down the hall to the largest pilot room, the room of the Three Angels. Knocking on the door, she wondered just how she was going to seduce Ryoko. 'Perhaps a Christmas present…'

The person who answered the door wasn't the tomboy Itsuki was looking for, but, rather, the artist. "Oh, hello, Hikaru-san. Is Ryoko around?"

Hikaru gave her a warm smile and answered, "I'm not supposed to tell you, but she isn't here. I think she ran off to the cafeteria or something." Itsuki looked as if she was going to dart away, so Hikaru pushed up her glasses and stopped her with a quick question. "Itsuki-san… Why do you chase after Ryoko?"

Itsuki glanced at her. "You don't need to worry, now, Hikaru-san. I just need to talk to her."

Hikaru sighed. "Alright, Itsuki, she's in the shower, but she says she isn't coming out until Akatsuki-san's party." She looked into the face of the violet-haired pilot "You can talk to her there, can't you?"

"Sure, I'll see you later, Hikaru-san."

~*~

"I told Evelyn to marry Christopher. Marry Chris, Miss Eve…" Itsuki burst out laughing at Izumi's pun. Apparently, she was the only one who understood it. "My brother got arrested for stealing miniature cars. He said he only liked Hot Wheels." Itsuki giggled once again, Hikaru slapping Izumi on the back in attempts to shut her up. Itsuki didn't understand why she was doing that…

Until she saw Ryoko.

Ryoko was looking as if she was going to slap the blue-haired pilot across the face if she didn't stop. This was obviously a common war that happened, since Hikaru was doing her best to calm it.

'The best way to stop a battle,' thought Itsuki as she got up from her stool, 'is to settle differences on both sides. Hikaru can handle Izumi, I'm taking Ryoko.' She giggled quietly to her own pun.

"Oh Ryoko, calm down, will you?" Ryoko's stormy blue eyes moved their glare from Izumi to Itsuki. "Jesus Christ, it's just a few jokes. It's not going to kill you to laugh, is it?"

"You haven't had to deal with it for months on end." Ryoko looked away, but she was still bristling.

"Get off it, it isn't that bad. You just need to lighten up, Ryoko." She did that indecent smile again. "Have a little fun…" Itsuki's hand rested on her shoulder, then traveled down a bit, just to brush her breast. Ryoko pushed her hand away.

"Stop that."

"Aw, you really are no fun." Itsuki's bottom lip stuck out childishly.

~*~

Within the next ten minutes, the Aestivalis pilots were out in Kawasaki, attacking two giant Gekiganger-like robots that had apparently attacked a Nergal lab in the area. At the same time, all of the pilots had been utterly confused with the boson jumping without a chulip.

'Every time we try to attack it… it jumps somewhere else… So if, I attached to it and attack it from there, jumping will do it no good!' Itsuki smiled with her plan, and directed her Artillery frame towards the goliath.

~*~

Gai stopped the car in front of an expensive looking apartment building. Akito just had to comment. "Wow! This place is huge! Do you really live here?"

"Of course, dummy. Why else would I stop the car here?" Akito giggled and answered, "Maybe we're here to pick up your girlfriend of something, you never know…" Gai instantly flashed back to Itsuki's words three months ago.

'I've had more girlfriends than you could ever dream to have…' Gai shook his head. Akito just took this as a negative, as the Martian shrugged and got out of the car, grabbing his bag. Gai had to help him with his bike.

Once they were in the apartment, Akito noticed it was pretty bare. 'Oh, well, Kazamo-san's usual at the base, so putzing around her home must not be something she does.' Akito set his bag on the couch and started digging through it. 'Now where are those disks… Aha!' He pulled the box out slowly, as if afraid to shake it. "Gai-san, I'm sure you want these back, ne?"

Gai, who was turning on the radio, realized what he was talking about. 'Gekiganger tapes. God, what am I gonna say…' Akito dug out the projector as well. "Want me to set this up?" he offered.

Gai shook his head. "No, it's okay. You can keep those if you want."

"Huh?!? But you love Gekiganger! You said these were your only copies!"

"I was… naïve. I don't need Gekiganger to hide behind anymore."

Akito looked down. "You have changed. I was afraid that you did. We've all changed over the past year… but I had this stupid idea that you were still the same person." Akito put the projector back in his bag and started to put in the box.

A hand rested onto the box, covering Akito's. Gai had knelt down so he could look the sitting Akito face to face. "I'm still the same person, Akito. I just… I don't want to hide my feelings for anything anymore. It hurts too much." Akito opened his mouth to say something, but was interrupted by the radio.

"-And now a special bulletin, the Kawasaki area is being attacked by the Jovians. Please, all citizens and tourists are warned to stay out of the area, as they will only hinder the attempted to stop the invaders."

Akito stood up, and started walking for the door. "I have to leave."

Gai nodded, understanding that the Martian was thinking of Erina's words, how he can still help the other pilots even if it was from afar. "Go on. Neither of us will disappear. I'll see you later."

Akito looked back for a moment. "I… I'll come back. I promise." Akito left on that note.

~*~

Itsuki followed her line up to the goliath's neck, and started blasting its head. "Jumping isn't going to do you any good if I'm still attached to you!"

Ryoko suddenly got a message from Erina. Actually, all the pilots did, but most of them ignored it. "Stop that pilot! She'll die if she doesn't let go!" One for duty, she immediately messaged Itsuki.

"Itsuki! Let go of the Jovian! If it jumps, you'll die!" Ryoko practically screamed.

Itsuki heard it though, and was cutting her line as Ryoko sent her message. She rushed her Aestivalis away from the goliath.

It jumped. Itsuki escaped with her life.

~*~

The wormhole in the sky closed, slowly, but it closed. And it had Akito in it. Gai had gone to the Nergal lab to see what would happen to Akito.

"Well, as the first earth human to successfully organically boson jump, he'll obviously be up for experimentation. However, Miss Frassange and I must get back to the Nadesico, if we are to pursue the issue further." Erina turned on her heel, but a hand stopped her. "What is it now?"

"…I used to be on the Nadesico. I have to get back, now. I'm one of the original crew." Gai looked Erina straight into the eyes, as if to stare her down. "I'm going with you, whether you like it or not."

"Fine, whatever. Unhand me this instant." Gai let go of her arm, as Erina stuck her nose into the air, and walked off with Inez.

"You didn't have to be so rude about it," observed Inez. Erina was enraged. "Well, why not?"

Inez chuckled. "He's good for experimentation too, as for your studies. However, I think putting him back on the Nadesico is a great idea. We usually do have a problem from lack of pilots…"

"Hmm."

TBC…

~*~

A/N: Yes, I know, it stunk, but oh well. -_- I told you, bought of Writer's block brings bad chapters. I'll try to make it up to you all in the next chapter… 


	7. A reappearance sparks...

A/N: The writer's block is still hanging around Oh well. I'm managing to spit out yet another chapter. I admit, yes, the last chapter had a lot of I+R stuff in it… bah, who cares. ^_^ The time thing may be a bit more confusing in this chapter… and YES it's STILL episode 13! (I don't even like this episode, but many interesting things happen in it, so there. :P) In the next chapter though, expect something of a small Hikaru interlude. And on to the fic.

~*~

There was darkness. Nothing but darkness. But, suddenly, there was a tiny pinprick of light. Not very big, but it slowly grew. Soon, it was tough to keep his eyes closed, the light got so bright. The brown orbs slowly opened, and everything was quite out of focus.

What was seen was nothing, at first. Then there was gray. He could hear slight beeping in the distance, but it was irrelevant. The only thought was, 'Where am I?' As the boy woke up more, it became much more apparent, he was in a hospital room.

He sat up and tried to rub his eyes, but his arms wouldn't let it happen. Blinking, he realized they had tubes through them. 'What the hell happened to me?' He had a headache as if someone was dropping a million chulips on it, all at the same time.

'Chulips! Oh shit… I boson jumped! But where am I… Oh god, that girl.' Flashes of his meeting with the violet-haired pilot called Itsuki, her Aestivalis attaching to the goliath, the goliath jumping ran through his head. Akito started to shake. 'If only I had thought. If only I contacted her with the communicator, she wouldn't have died…'

He heard a door open and close. An unfamiliar, gruff voice grunted. "So, you're awake. But we need to do some more things to help you heal, so we need to go back to sleep." The doctor filled a syringe with some fluid. Akito couldn't really see what it was, for he apparently lost his contacts. It was injected in his arm, and soon felt his eyelids grow heavy.

~*~

Stepping into the corridors of the Nadesico, the two women went straight towards the bridge. Gai didn't feel like dealing with the Captain right now, so, instead, he headed for the room he shared with Akito a year ago. It took him a while to find it, for he didn't have a very good memory. He opened the door easily though, and when he was finally in, dropped Akito's backpack and his own duffel bag on the floor. Unzipping his bag, he noticed something on the floor. Two somethings. They looked like cards.

Gai felt curious, so he opened the first one.

'Dear Akito,

I hope you have a very nice Christmas! I was also wondering, do you have any plans on Christmas Eve? I'd really like to spend it with you. Yes, only you.

Love, Megumi'

Gai's eyebrows furrowed together. 'Since when does seiyuu girl like fry-cook boy? Apparently, more has changed this past year than I thought…' A little disturbed, Gai picked up the other card, which he expected was from the Captain. It was.

'My dear, sweet Akito,

Merry Christmas, my love! I'm very sorry that I do not have a present for you, but will my love for you be enough? I hope that baka Megumi didn't make any plans with you for Christmas Eve night, because I'd really like you to come to my party. Please come, my dearest!

Love, Yurika'

Gai chuckled a bit. 'And then he spent Christmas Eve with me…' That just made him think back, again, to what Itsuki said, three months ago.

'"For example… you're always going on about getting back to the Nadesico… You've also told me just about everything there is to hear about that little Martian cook…"' 

Gai shook his head to clear the memory away. 'There's no way in hell… Besides.' Gai looked at the cards in his hands distantly. 'Why would someone with two girls hanging off of him go after a person like me, a man, no less?' Gai's eyes welled up with frustration as he threw the cards towards the trashcan. 

~*~ 

Itsuki stood in front of the door, somehow gathering up her courage to finally raise her hand and knock on it. Almost immediately, the green-haired pilot answered the door, dressed in her off-duty, of course. "What do you want?" Itsuki cringed at Ryoko's tone. 

'Dammit, I took the wrong direction with her. I should have gone slower. Damn my stupidity, she probably hates me now.' Itsuki moved her gaze downward, feeling more dumb than usual. "I just wanted to say, thank you. For saving my life that is. I owe you one." Ryoko nodded. 

"And…" Itsuki forced herself to look into Ryoko's eyes. "I'm… Sorry." 

That caught Ryoko off-guard. "Huh?" 

"I apologize for acting so… sleazy to get your attention Ryoko. I obviously missed read you, and I'm terribly regretful. Do you think you might be able to, maybe, forgive me?" 

Ryoko was torn. 'God, she's really pissed me off… but, she still seems to be a good person. She's able to notice when she's made a mistake at least. Can't get that too often, nowadays at least…' "Sure." The word was out of her mouth before she could consider it. 

Itsuki's eyes, before solemn, brightened. "Thank you Ryoko. Thank you so much." She grinned before she knew what she was doing, and had run off. 

Ryoko stood staring off into the distance. 'That was a real smile. None of that attemptive-suave shit, but a real smile.' 

~*~ 

Megumi stood up. "You! It's your entire fault, isn't it? It's your fault that Akito's dead. You knew he could boson jump, and you made him take the robot with him!" 

Erina didn't have much response. "Please control yourself. And as for Tenkawa -" 

She was cut off as a large communication window popped up. Nothing but static, but then Akito's face appeared. "Hey! Nadesico!" The current bridge crew gasped. "Where have you been? It's been two weeks! I've been calling you over and over!"

Inez smiled. "It's the time variable. You jumped to the moon two weeks ago." She glanced at the ebony-haired helmswoman. "I suppose we all know what happens now."

Erina chuckled. Jun leaned over the railing at the top level of the bridge. "What's that, Miss Frassange?" He was playing captain as Yurika had to go handle her personal issues.

Erina answered for her. "Full speed to the moon, immediately."

TBC…

~*~

A/N: My god, this is really really sucking now. Oh well, I need to rush off to the next chapter all ready. Hope you enjoyed it so far! 


	8. A secret unveiled...

A/N: Hei-ho, hei-ho! Back to writing with me. ^_^ Episode 13 got a lot of use, didn't it? Thank god its over, yo. Okay, we're starting on Episode 15; we maybe just might go right into Episode 16 too. Of course, there is a bit of a Hikaru interlude, but that's okee. A bit more I+R stuff than G+A stuff in this chapter, but if we get into Episode 16 with this, that just might change… ^_^ Lights, camera, action!

~*~

"I mean, you are a captain!" cried out Erina. She was so sick and tired of the captain wasting her time on that low-life fry-cook.

Yurika smiled and pumped a fist in the air. "That's right! I am a captain!"

Erina sighed.

Apparently, it had been one of the few times when all the bridge women, including the female pilots, had all been in the steam bath. Everyone, that is, except Megumi. Erina still continued to harass Yurika with questions. "Why did you even accept the role of captain, anyway?"

"Well, everywhere I went… I was always referred to as my father's daughter. And it was the same all the way through school, and even at the academy. But here on the Nadesico, I can be seen for the person I am."

"Is that it?" It didn't seem like a very good reason to become the captain of one of the most powerful battleships in the world created by the most powerful company in the world, at least, not to Erina.

"Well…" Yurika got that goofy grin on her face, the smile she did when she was thinking about Akito. "There is also the part about winning Akito's heart!"

Erina rubbed her forehead. "Will you please stop talking about that idiot!"

Ryoko turned toward Erina and snarled at her, but Erina didn't even see it. Itsuki did though. She gasped slightly, then focused her attention downward, not listening to the argument anymore

'Ryoko likes Akito. Dammit, I should have seen it. Figures, every other female has something for him.' She sighed. 'Damn. Damn damn damn.' Hikaru suddenly stood up. She turned around to face the other two Angels, and, cheerily, said, "I'm going to go back to the room now. I have to get started on that new doujinshi, and you guys distract me!" Izumi just nodded and Ryoko whispered, "sure."

Itsuki took this chance to leave as well. She followed the redhead out. "Hey, Hikaru!"

Hikaru turned around, still unfogging her glasses. "Itsuki?" She put them back on. "What? Fight annoying you too?" Obviously, there were ulterior motives that Hikaru had for leaving early.

"Er… something like that. Look, Hikaru…" Itsuki just didn't know how to say it.

"Yeah. I know. I thought she didn't like him anymore either, but I guess that flame takes a lot to be doused." Itsuki blinked. She didn't expect such a poetic statement from the otaku pilot. Hikaru grinned. "I'm going to take a few more minutes to recuperate, okay?"

Itsuki nodded, then pulled on her robe, and left the woman's baths.

~*~

(Hikaru Interlude)

Itsuki left, and Hikaru didn't feel like changing that very second. In fact, she was very comfortable in her towel as it was. So she just left the baths like that. But before she got anywhere, she heard a masculine giggle.

Turning to her left, she saw a small portion of the mechanics looking through one of the sliding doors to the baths. Along with them was Uribatake. Hikaru sighed. 'Man, he really is as bad as me and Izumi. Worse, even.' She tiptoed over there.

"You know, they'll throw us out of an airlock if they catch us spying again," heard the pilot, as she got closer. She bent down and started walking on her haunches. Right until she was still unseen, but in a good position.

"I don't care, just kill me now!" squeaked Uribatake. Hikaru tried not to giggle. All the other mechanics had noticed her, except for the oblivious Uribatake. She slowly reached up and pinched his nose and mouth closed.

Uribatake pulled her hands off. "What, Are you trying to kill me?"

Hikaru giggled again. "Isn't that what you said you wanted, you bad boy?" Uribatake seemed at a lost for an answer, so Hikaru decided to make the scene even more uncomfortable for him. 'Serves him right.' "And just what're you doing out here?" 'Certainly the girls inside have heard by now…'

Uribatake made a nervous laugh. "Uh, we were just looking for an intruder!"

She didn't quite expect that answer. "An intruder?!" All the girls inside heard too.

"An intruder?!?"

~*~

Gai heard all the announcements from Akito's room, but refused to move. 'I'll make myself known when we get to the moon, and pick his stupid ass up. No need to make them think I'm the intruder…'

Gai opened Akito's bag and got out the projector. 'Hello, friend. It's been a while. How have you been?' He placed it on the floor. Then he pulled out the disks. 'Hi to you too. I could care less about you guys. We had some good times, but it's time to move on.' He placed the box down next to it. 'Don't worry, you guys. You'll find someone better than me. Someone who, I know, will love you.' Gai started to dig out wrapping paper. 'Might as well pull an Itsuki…'

About ten minutes later, Gai was in the shower, and a delicately wrapped gift sat in the middle of the darkened room. The tag read, "To: Akito, someone who will appreciate these a lot more than I ever would. From: Gai, thank you for letting me back into your life."

~*~

Akatsuki and Ryoko piled into the Hinagiku, ready to go after the Jovian who abducted Megumi and Minato. Itsuki and Yurika followed as well. "I'm coming with you. This is partly my fault." Announced Yurika, as if anyone would actually stop her.

Ryoko glared at the purple-haired pilot. "What're you doing here?"

"I owe you one Ryoko, might as well give an extra set of hands, that is, if you need it from the Lunar Theatre ace pilot instead of this long-haired bastard." Itsuki jerked a thumb at Akatsuki.

Ryoko smiled. Not many people had the guts to insult Akatsuki. Akito busted into the shuttle as well.

"What happened? How did Megumi and Minato get kidnapped? Holy shit!" He turned to Itsuki, but she wasn't listening. "I thought you were dead!" Yurika started rambling things to Akito, and Akito started rambling things to himself. At least, that's what the scene looked like to Itsuki. She got a smile out of her tomboy. She was so elated; she might as well be flying.

"Oh, shut up!" yelled Ryoko as she pulled the Hinagiku out and towards the Gekigan-type head, which started to shake with activity.

Itsuki rubbed her eyes. "Um, is it just me, or is there something going on in there?"

Akatsuki seconded it. "Might be."

Akito gasped. "Megumi and Minato must be fighting back!" Itsuki fought the urge to hit him. "Hey, wait," said Yurika.

"Eh?" commented Ryoko, wanted to get the captain to continue.

"Did that pilot remind you of someone we once knew? A pilot who collects Gekiganger merchandise." Akito and Itsuki made the connection immediately.

'Gai…'

'Jiro no baka.'

Yurika was a bit slower, however. "That's right! He reminded me of Yamada Jiro! And he even looked like him!"

Ruri's communication window opened. "I thought he looked like him as well." Uribatake popped up too. "He was probably a spy the whole time, and he just faked his death! That's the kind of plot twist he'd be into!"

"You're covering up my view screens, ya know," complained Ryoko. She eventually gave up.

"Do you think the bullet could have been stopped by a silver dollar in his pocket?" commented How Mei. "A bible or metal lighter are also optional," responded Mr. Hory.

Another window popped up. "Or maybe I'm not dead, and maybe I'm sitting in the fry-cook's room?" Yurika shrieked.

Akito's face brightened. "Gai! You made it back to the Nadesico!" Itsuki crossed her arms.

"Of course he did, fry-cook boy." Apparently, Itsuki and Gai had the same knack for nicknames. "And if you don't want to piss Miss Tomboy off even more, I suggest you make this screen a little more private." Itsuki winked at Akito, but he didn't get the message. Akito did as told though, making the window come up only for him.

~*~

"Hey, Gai. Glad you made it back." Akito smiled. Gai blushed a bit, but giggled nervously.

"Hey, it was a piece of cake, ya know? Oh, when you get back, I have, um, a present for you…" Gai was interrupted by a yell from Akito's end. The Martian looked to the side, made a face, and turned back. "Look, Gai, I have to talk to you later. Something happened, I guess." He closed the window before the other pilot could a word in edgewise.

~*~

Ryoko attempted to connect to Megumi and Minato's communicators once again, and finally got it. "Establishing communications!" A staticy window popped up showing someone who did, in fact, look a lot like Gai. "Hey, you Jovian! Leave those two women alone!"

"What? This ugly boy's face just popped up out of nowhere!" The static lifted and Ryoko yelled. Loudly.

"Ugly?!? I'll take that insult and shove it up your-" She was cut off as Akatsuki and Yurika pulled her away from the controls. Itsuki plopped into her place. "Now, that wasn't very nice of either of you…" she said, singsong. Akito's face came into the window. "Megumi! Minato! Are you all right?"

TBC…

~*~

A/N: I love cliffhangers, don't you! ^_^ Well, looks like I got as far as I needed to. ^_^ In the next chapter, we get to watch our favorite four pilots' reactions to the revelations about the Jovians! See you in the next chapter! *waves* 


	9. An argumentative beginning...

A/N: Hello again! So, did I intrigue you enough with my last chapter? How about the fact that we're still following the same storyline as the series? Or should I just shut up, tell where we're starting, and write the fic already? Okay, then. This starts a while after the last chapter; in fact, it starts right before the explanation of the hidden history. So, it's still in Episode 16. On to the ficcy!

~*~

Akito, after getting off the Hinagiku, made a beeline to his room. 'Jesus Christ, all those idiots made Gai to sound off like a person who just lives for action in their life. A cold person. He isn't that, dammit! He cares… More than they do!' He opened his room, and was nearly blinded. The lights were on.

The lights in his room hadn't been on since Gai was there.

'Baka. He is…' Sure enough, the bathroom door opened just then. Akito blushed horribly, and ran further into the room. 'Great, wonderful impression after not really talking to him much… But why the hell is he wearing a towel instead of a bathrobe or something?'

The bathroom door had also shut. Slammed shut in fact. After a few moments, a muffle voice called out, "Is it safe to come out now?"

Obviously, he meant are the eyes unseeing at the moment. Akito caught the hint and slapped a hand over his eyes. "Yes!"

For a moment, it was complete silence. Then, there was the sound of the door opening and shutting, not to mention little mumbling that Akito heard from the other pilot. Most of them just sounded like little squeaks of embarrassment. But others… "I can't believe… could have been anyone… was him, at least…"

Akito, unsuccessfully suppressing his smile, giggled. "Just because I can't see you doesn't mean I can't hear you!" This was met with another squeak. The Martian giggled again. This was a fun game.

Instead of mumbling, all Akito heard was quickened dressing sounds. Then, after a minute or so, there was a somewhat quiet, "It's safe to open your eyes now…" Akito was still in a little of a giggling fit.

Akito uncovered his eyes, and, for no reason at all, started laughing so hard, he plopped on his bed unceremoniously. Gai, still blushing from that little incident, started laughing too. For about ten minutes the two just giggled as much as their bodies could handle, then made stupid jokes to start it all off again.

Trying to catch his breath, Gai had collapsed on his own bed somewhere in the insanity. Akito wiped tears from his eyes. "God, Gai, I've missed you," announced the cook as he rubbed his aching sides.

Too bad Gai was too winded for any ration thought. "I've missed more than you could ever know, Akito." The words were out before the Earthling could make any attempt to stop them. 'Shit… I didn't just say that… Shit! I did!'

Akito's eyebrows furrowed. "What do you mean…" A window popped up, showing the surveillance of Erina and Munetake interrupted him.

~*~

Ryoko had gotten to the bridge, apparently, long before Itsuki did. The purple-haired pilot was still brushing her locks out as she walked over and sat at her little station. Ryoko was directly behind her. Giving the hair utensil a last pull, Itsuki got antsy, so she immediately got up to go bug Ryoko.

The tomboy pilot was sitting at her station, nearly falling asleep. But she somehow sensed Itsuki's presence, and opened one blue eye to regard her. "What do you want now?" Itsuki shook off Ryoko's tone. 'Remember, Kazamo. You promised you'd go slower. DON'T treat her how you'd like to be treated, it isn't going to work this time.'

"Look, I know we've had our differences these past few days. I've pissed you off royally without meaning to. That's why I apologized."

Ryoko didn't seem to hear that last part. "'Without meaning to'? 'Without meaning to'?! Kazamo, what kind of fucked-up world are you living in? That's all you've been meaning to do since you got on the Nadesico! You've been doing a damn good job of it too!"

Itsuki flinched at Ryoko's outburst. 'She really does hate me… Oh man, I've really fucked it up this time…' "It isn't like that, Ryoko."

"What the hell do you mean!?" Brown met blue as Itsuki forced herself to look her in the face. "I haven't been trying to piss you off. At all. My intention… I wasn't trying to make you mad, I was flirting with you!"

A large communications window popped up for the entire bridge, showing Erina and Munetake.

~*~

As the story unfolded, the crew of the Nadesico's dreams, the idea that they were fighting for the greater good, was diminished. This was no noble war, where there was a definite right and a definite wrong. Eyes that had, just a few moments ago, sparkled with laughter, were now dead with tears. Firm frowns become quivering mouths. Trust had been broken.

~*~

Akito's brown eyes were empty, but still over-spilling. "How could they lie to us like this? How? Didn't the UE even feel the slightest bit guilty telling all of their soldiers that the Jovians were aliens, non-human?" He gave up on speaking and just surrendered to crying.

Gai felt something splatter on his hand. 'What's this? I'm crying too? I haven't cried since… Humans killed my parents? The creations of humans?!' Gai felt more of his own tears roll down his cheeks, and then he couldn't take it anymore. Getting up on shaky legs, he walked to and sat down on Akito's futon. His wrapped his arms around the Martian and buried his face in his shoulder, as Akito did the same. The two pilots silently made each other the other's pillar to lean on. If they couldn't depend on the earth anymore, they'll depend on themselves.

~*~

Ryoko was in a state of confusion. "How come the UE never told us about this?" Itsuki grunted, and gave her callus answer, "Because the pecking order is based on who knows more. If those big shots knew, they kept it from us so we wouldn't pose a threat to them losing their status."

Ryoko glanced at the girl she was just yelling at. "How do you know this?"

"The UE often kept information from the Lunar Theatre. They claimed we were too far away, but it was obvious that wasn't the case." Another cold response. The violet-haired pilot left the bridge, heading for the dorms.

Ryoko just couldn't help but wonder, 'Is she upset about the revelations, or about me yelling at her?'

~*~

Akito had found a tissue somewhere and was promptly blowing his nose. 'God, I hate it when I get worked up like this, my nose runs like a faucet… at least I had someone around who won't make fun of me…' He blew his nose again.

Gai had gotten up and started pacing. 'Those freaking officials… they can't tell us anything because they think we'll start fighting for the Jovians. We're fighting with those that were the oppressors… why is it that we made the wrong choice, again? Maybe I should just drop out of all this…'

Akito looked at the tissue in his hand. 'If we aren't fighting for what's right…' He threw the tissue across the room. He growled. "God dammit! What the hell are we fighting for?!"

Gai moved his gaze from the floor to the Martian. 'If he stays… I will to.' "What're you going to do?" Akito looked up at him, and Gai just wanted to strangle himself. That look was so lost, alone, dead. 'God, please let me be able to fix that… I never want to see that again.'

"I have to stay. I may not want to fight… but the Nadesico is my home. My second Mars. I… I don't really have another place that I could walk around, blindfolded, and know where everything is. And if I have to fight to stay, I will."

Gai sat down on the futon again. "Then I guess I'm staying too…" Gai was shaking so much; Akito thought he was having a seizure. 'Must be from all that happened here today.' He was wrong. In truth, Gai's heart was beating so fast just from sitting there, he thought he might pass out.

"Akito, I think the reason they showed us that conversation so that we would know. I'd think I'd much rather be on the Nadesico knowing, then oblivious. So… um… Close your eyes!" Akito blinked. "Huh?"

"I'm trying to tell you something… and… it's embarrassing, and I don't want you to look at me all funny, so close your eyes. Please?" Akito shrugged and covered his eyes. He felt Gai turn the lights off. "I don't want to see you laughing at me either." Akito was as curious as hell now. 'What the hell could be so damn embarrassing that he has to go to these measures…'

He felt Gai sit down again. "I guess secrecy is a bad thing, when you look at it. Keeping information from other people… especially when it's about them, is wrong." Gai took a shaky breath. "W… When I met up with Itsuki again, she told me I had an 'infatuation' with getting back to the Nadesico. I told her that it was because you still had all my Gekiganger tapes. She said that wasn't the reason. I didn't understand what she meant, then, but that was three months ago. I've had two months to sit on my ass and brood about the world. Then I realized, I don't even really like Gekiganger anymore!" Gai smiled. It felt a lot better getting it out, even if he was sure it would hurt after everything hit the fan. "So, that got me thinking. 'If I didn't really want my tapes back, why do I want to get back onto the Nadesico so much?' Then I… I realized what it was." Gai stopped, not sure whether or not to continue.

Akito still sat there, with his eyes closed. "Well? What is it?"

"I… I don't think I want to continue." Gai sighed. 'I was so geared up and ready to do it too…'

"Why? And how come it's so embarrassing? What, is there someone on the Nadesico you like or something?" 'Really now, it can't be too ugly. Worst comes to worst, he has a crush on like, Uribatake or something…' Akito mentally shuddered. 'Ugh, think happy thoughts, happy thoughts…'

"Akito, you couldn't have hit it better on the head." 'Well, here goes nothing…'

'If he seriously does like Uribatake, I'm going to puke.' "Who is it?"

Gai tried to calm his breath. Then, making as less movement as possible, it was done.

He had kissed Akito on the cheek.

He jumped back as if scalded, and covered his face. Akito opened his eyes, cupping his cheek with one hand. Gai started to get up. "I know, you hate me now, so I'll go get my bags and get another room…" Akito grabbed the other pilot's sleeve and made him sit back down. In fact, he continued the fluid motion to pull Gai's face down towards his, and kissing him fully on the lips.

~*~

Ryoko knocked on Itsuki's door. Since she wasn't there, she turned on Itsuki's door-answering machine. Itsuki's face popped up, and it certainly wasn't her cheery indecent smile on her face.

She was crying. "If you're knocking on the door, I'm not here. In fact, I went off in a Lunar Frame to go fight the Goliath that had appeared. Why me, while we have seven other qualified pilots? Someone has to continue the war. Someone has to avenge her family. Someone… has to do something to keep her mind off other things. So just leave me a message, and I'll eventually get to you." The recording stopped.

Ryoko collapsed against the door, sinking into a sitting position. 'What have I done?'

TBC…

~*~

A/N: Awww, we finally got somewhere with Akito and Gai! Wow! And are we sensing some guilt from Ryoko's end? Check out the next chapter, where Akito makes his own little speech, Ryoko confronts Itsuki, Gai realizes Munetake is the UE representative on the Nadesico, and Hikaru and Uribatake build up a relationship-type-thing. (What it is between them…?)


	10. Many revelations...

A/N: Sorry for this taking so long! Did you all like the last chapter? I kinda left it pretty, um, bad, ne? Oh well. In this chapter, we're going to try to get as much stuff in as possible. Granted, it's longer than usual, as I'm trying to fit in all of Episode 17 along with the ending of Episode 16. But I think we can do it! Oh yeah! Another thing that happens, beside all the things I listed in the last chapter (confused yet?), is that a certain Omoikane makes his first appearance… On with the show!

~*~

Akito pulled his face away, leaving his hands on the other pilot's. His brown eyes, having slid closed somewhere in the sudden burst of emotion, reopened, looking much more alive then they had five minutes ago. He took a deep breath, and just awaited a response.

Gai's own eyes slid open as well, however, he was much more breathless. "Akito… why did you do that? You've… you've probably made it worse for both of us…"

The Martian's hands fell silently into his lap. "I did it… because I wanted to." He moved his gaze into the darkened distance. "While you were, gone… I kissed Megumi. I didn't really know why I did it… But I realized that she wanted me to. God, I must sound like such a pushover. But I did that for her because she wanted me to do it. I didn't mean anything by it. But… I guess it didn't work that way. Maybe I really don't understand how people work. And I must be an idiot."

Gai's brows furrowed, and his hand tiptoed from its position on the side of the futon to Akito's shoulder. "You're not an idiot, Akito," he countered, elated that he could finally stop suppressing any urge to just cuddle the Martian that sat next to him. However, he didn't, wanted to hear the rest of his tale.

"Yes I am!" cried Akito, slouching over, and resting his forehead on the heels of his hands. "I am… I tried to do the same thing for Yurika, when we were near the Bering Straits. I didn't realize until later, that, they took it seriously. They actually thought I cared for them more than a friendly way. Because they thought of me that way… my letting them take affection from me made them think I believed the same." He took another deep breath. He had never said any of this to anyone. "But… I don't love anyone right now. Gai, I kissed you because I wanted to. I wanted to. You didn't want, or even need me to. I did it for myself. Sure, Yurika's pretty, Megumi's cute, and Ryoko may have a perfect personality, but they're just friends. You're my best friend."

Gai looked down. 'Apparently, even though he practically said, 'Sure, Gai, I love you too,' he doesn't love anyone. Not even me. Damn my luck.' "You never really answered me though… why did you do it?"

Akito's head pulled back up. "I feel a sort of an attraction to each of them, even though Yurika's annoying, Megumi's pushy, and Ryoko seems to have other interests. I… I think I have an attraction to you as well, Gai." Gai blinked, but kept quiet. "I don't know who I love, who I want to be with permanently, you know? Does this make any sense?"

Gai nodded. "A little. I do love you though Akito. I won't rub it in your face, but I've let you know. That's all I really need." 'Bullshit, Daigohji. You're lying to yourself.'

Akito smiled a bit. "That's all I ever wanted to hear from anyone." He glanced at the Earthling pilot again. "I think that's what did me in for you, ne? You're honest, you let me have my space…" He smiled. 'Oh, devious plan cooking. I've had a test-run with everyone else, sort of, at least… I could attempt to go in this direction, couldn't I?'

Gai didn't quite catch it. "What're you getting at?" Akito grinned and slapped him on the arm. "Baka. I'm making a proposal!"

Gai giggled. "Already? Oh, Akito, you shouldn't have…"

Akito hit him again. "Baka! Shut up already, ne? I was going to say… While I don't know if I like you best, I am attracted to you… so, how about we try something out? Is that okay?"

Gai's eyebrows shot up to his hairline. "'Is that okay?'? 'Is that okay?'!? Of course it's okay!" Gai jumped off the futon and started dancing around the room, chanting something that sounded like, "Akitolikesme, Akitolikesme".

Akito was rolling with laughter once again. It was as if the message about the Jovians was never relayed.

~*~

The next day, on the Nadesico, it was back to business as usual. Many people were still upset about the new revelations, however, and went to speak with the resident psychiatrist, Inez, about their problems. Not many of them had much to do with the idea of fighting humans, however. One thing lead to another, and the next thing you know, everyone's in a long line to go speak to the good doctor.

And, also on the other hand, this was later on in the day. At the time of the unpopular (at least, it was unpopular on the Nadesico) meal of breakfast, there were very few people in the cafeteria.

Who actually was in there was the Admiral, How Mei, the How Mei girls (of course), Akito, and Gai. Gai sat there, stirring his cereal, with his head propped up on a hand, staring off into space. Smiling slightly as well.

And so he continued to sit as Itsuki came into the room, looking a bit more bedraggled than she usually presented herself. She yawned, covering her mouth delicately with a hand filled with a hairbrush, and made her way to the table Gai sat at. Pulling the utensil through her hair, she grunted a groggy "Ohayo, Jiro," before sitting down. He didn't even register her entrance. Rubbing her eyes, she noticed this lack, and repeated, a little louder, "Ohayo, Jiro." No response. Just a distant look and a slight smile. It was really creeping Itsuki out, and that took a lot.

She waved a hand in front of his eyes. "Yoo-hoo…" Nothing. Getting fed-up, she pushed the elbow that held up the hand supporting his head away, making him take a nosedive into his cereal.

That got his attention. He came back up, sputtering and wiping milk from his face. Anger flashed in his eyes. "What the hell did you do that for?!"

The little prank woke up Itsuki to her full. "To get your attention." She made her little indecent smile as Gai glared at her. She slapped her hands on the table and met her brown eyes with his gray. A minute passed with the intense glares before Itsuki cut the near-silence with a single word, "Talk."

Gai blinked. "Eh? Whaddya mean, talk?" He had a pretty good idea what she meant; it's just that he didn't really want to spill the beans. Any distractions would be helpful.

Itsuki glared some more before grabbing his ear and twisting it. Through his squelches of pain and his pounding of the table, she explained, quite calmly, "You're sitting here, staring off into space, grinning your ass off. Something happened last night. Something that, and I believe I'm right, had to do with the Martian cook. Now speak, dammit!" She let go and allowed Gai to rub life back into his ear.

Gai glared at her again, though his was not a piercing as hers. He felt like she was digging into his spirit, like she already knew what happened, she was just humoring herself. "Well, we talked."

The violet-haired pilot blinked a couple times. "'We talked'? 'We talked'?! That's it? No confessions, no violence, no making out, nothing? Just… 'We talked'?"

Gai looked to the floor. "Well… I kinda… told him…" Itsuki's eyes lit up. "Oh really? And his response?"

He glared at her again, somehow finding the confidence to do so. "Why are you so interested into my love life anyway?" Itsuki shrugged. "Because mine is in the shitter. Talk, you."

'Ah, another diversion for me to take advantage of…' "Why is yours in the shitter?" asked Gai.

Itsuki's gaze didn't falter a bit. "Because I've made Ryoko hate me. Don't change the subject. What did he say?"

A voice came from the kitchen. "Stop harrying my boyfriend about me, dammit!" Itsuki had to laugh at that. Suddenly, you could hear the steel shoes of the How Mei girls running to attack Akito, demanding explanations. Voices as well, but How Mei wasn't in on the assault of questions. She just stood there, a knowing look on her face as she continued to busy herself with cooking the unpopular meal.

"Akito! Why did you tell me that you were that way?" "Akito, Yurika's going to be pissed!" "Wow, Akito, you finally found someone you actually like?" "It had best not be Akatsuki!" "Who is it, Akito?"

Gai just sat there, his face getting redder by the minute. Itsuki continued to laugh while heading to the counter. "Hey, girls. Why don't you come out here and see him in the first lace, if you're all so curious!" She smiled as Gai tried to hide under the table. "Be careful though, he's really really shy and already about to burst a blood vessel with his blushing." She was grinning her head off as one by one the How Mei girls scanned the room with their eyes.

"Where is he?"

"In my own personal hell," was the muffled response. The girls giggled as they realized it was the pilot who first came to the Nadesico. Itsuki, on the other hand, was now grinning for another reason.

'Hm, I don't think I've seen a better set of women that could be called the best of friends… If I'm unsuccessful with Ryoko I might decide to suppress any urges of mine with them.' Her grin went to her usual indecent one. She went back to the table, which Gai was peeking out from under, and grabbed her hairbrush. She kicked the table. "Out, Jiro. They're not staring any more." He slowly sat back on the little bench, and Itsuki giggled again. "See you later, Jiro." She walked towards one of the doors, but it opened long before it should have.

Because the other female pilots were coming to breakfast now too. Hikaru skipped past the violet-haired pilot to claim a table, a talent she had that was useful during lunch and dinner. Izumi noticed the look on Itsuki's face, the regretful shock that could only mean one thing. That one thing was that Ryoko and Itsuki needed to talk. She smirked and walked past her, leaving the tomboy pilot with the tactician.

Ryoko gulped. "Um… hello, Itsuki…" 'Dammit! Why can't I say anything to her?!'

Itsuki's expression went all business. "Ohayo, Subaru-san." She glided past her as if she knew her as nothing more than an acquaintance.

Ryoko watched her go. Her dark eyebrows were knit together when she came to sit at the table Hikaru had picked, not realizing there were other people in the room.

"What did you say to her that makes her think you hate her?" Ryoko blinked, and then realized the question came from the one pilot she didn't know on the Nadesico. The one that Itsuki seemed to have a past with, Gai Daigohji.

"W… What?" She was a bit taken aback. Someone she didn't know was in on her matters, and she didn't really like that.

Gray met blue. "She told me she's pretty sure you hate her. My question is where did that notion come from?" His expression wasn't hard, but more confused. As if he knew that the violet-haired pilot was wrong, but wanted to get all the information first.

Ryoko glared at him. "Since when was it your business?!" She really didn't like the fact that he was one up on her.

Hikaru adjusted her glasses. She glanced at Izumi next to her. The taller pilot's eyes screamed, "Let's get out of this. Food, now." The redhead nodded, and the two got up and went to the counter, leaving Ryoko glaring across the room at Gai.

He got up and sat across from her, in Hikaru's old spot. "It's been my business since I was three. Itsuki isn't easily hurt. Especially from her 'targets', the handpicked girls she tries to win for whatever reason she has. But obviously something has gone wrong with her seduction. What happened?" Ryoko had to hand it to him, he knew more than he let on. But he still continued to have the air of someone who just was caring, worried in a way.

The green-haired pilot sighed. "She was really pissing me off. But I thought she was just fucking around, ya know? But she told she was really, sincerely flirting with me. But I didn't know how to respond…"

Gai nodded. "Gotcha. I know why she's all weirded out now." One black eyebrow rose a bit on Ryoko's face, but she said nothing. "You didn't have the usual answer of most of her prey. She's used to them feeling uneasy, not retaliating in anger, which you did. That intrigued her, but confused her too. So she apparently thought you hate her, in which case she's going to retreat and regroup until she figures out what to do."

As much as this made sense, Ryoko just couldn't help but wonder why this person she didn't know could come up with all of that with a just a few statements from her. 'Sure, he obviously knows more about Itsuki than anyone else, but still…' "Um… thanks, Daigohji-san…"

Hikaru and Izumi came back at that moment. Hikaru over heard the name. She plopped on the bench right next to Gai.

"You're that pilot that Akito said owned the entire Gekiganger series! Oh my gosh, I never thought I would get to meet you!" She grabbed his hand, which was resting on the table, and shook it vigorously. "I'm Amano Hikaru, a doujinshi artist! I've created around five whole doujinshi series, which I was going to show at Kosumike 3, but I get drafted to come here… But that's okay!" She smiled warmly.

Gai shook his head. "I don't really like Gekiganger that much anymore…" He felt really bad about disappointing the girl, but she didn't seem that upset.

Her eyes widened. "Why not?" Gai looked left and right. He knew Akito hadn't seen the end yet, and he didn't want to spoil it for him. "Got a problem with spoilers?" Hikaru shook her head and offered her ear. Gai covered his mouth and whispered into her ear the ending for the series.

Her red eyebrows shot up during his talking to her. Izumi just sat and watched, Ryoko looking confused, Hikaru looking shocked, and Akito coming out of the kitchen looking like he was going to kill someone. She could only snicker at the entire scene. It needed no pun or joke to make it hilarious. It was perfect by itself. But she couldn't resist. "Sometimes, even the cow can make the bull cower in fear." She burst out laughing and starting hitting the table. Ryoko was ready to hit her, but then realized what she meant. Akito was storming over.

Ryoko looked Gai in the eye as he realized the deep crap he was in. "I'd run if I were you." But he didn't. He just eeped and tried to hide under the table again.

Akito stopped at the side of the table and glared at the top of the taller, but younger pilot's head. "What do you think you're doing?" A squeaky response, "I was just telling her the ending of Gekiganger!" came out from under the table. Hikaru grinned.

"No need to get jealous, Akito!" She smiled at him. Akito was stunned. "What… Huh... How the hell…" Hikaru giggled.

"The doujinshi I write, you know, are yaoi books." Izumi nodded with a look of long suffering. Ryoko sighed. The two other female pilots knew this, far too well. The redhead continued, though. "I'm able to spot something between people very easily." Her expression darkened a bit, still staring into Akito's eyes. The wordless message to him was clear. 'Whether the relationship I perceive is bad or good, that is.' Akito's eyes squinted, as if seeing another part of Hikaru that was much more experienced, more wise then was let perceivable. His message back, 'Megumi? Yurika?' Hikaru nodded, her gaze kept balanced, leaving him with her last thought. 'Others as well. Not just the pain of triangles.' She got up and skipped out to the counter to pick up the three pilots' food. Gai, remember his soggy breakfast, got up to throw it away, that is, after he climbed out from under the table. He continued to talk to Ryoko as Akito grabbed a chair from the other side of the room to pull up to their table.

"I'm guessing your next question is 'What should I do?' right?" Ryoko nodded. Izumi closed her visible eye, and answered for Gai, "Make the message clear: 'I am interested, not angry.'" The three other pilots looked at the poetic girl as Hikaru came back. The redhead hadn't even blinked. Out of the three best friends, Izumi was always her best best friend. Ryoko just couldn't understand being put out because of a tendency of yours. Sure, Ryoko was ostracized for being a tomboy, but Hikaru was otaku, and Izumi liked to make stupid jokes about life to help her learn her two nationality's languages: English and Japanese. The three's loneliness brought them together. Hikaru understood Izumi more than Ryoko did.

Gai nodded slowly, a little afraid of the quiet and smart, but rather strange pilot. "Yeah… what she said. Let her know you're not upset anymore, but you're interested." He was also surprised that Izumi knew that. 'Maybe she knows more about life than she lets on… Hell, we know I don't know shit about life's mysteries. I just know the girl in question like the back of my hand.'

Ryoko considered this statement from her best friend. Before she could really say anything, though, there was a cough from the other side of the room. All five pilots looked up from their conversation to realize Admiral Munetake had been in there, the entire time. Three out of five shrugged, another had no response, but Gai glared at the Admiral's retreating back as he left the cafeteria.

His eyebrows gathered. "How long has he been here?" Akito looked concerned. "He was here before you got here." The two male pilots knew that that had a double meaning. Yes, Munetake had been in the CAFETERIA longer than Gai had, but he was also on the NADESICO before Gai came back. Gai looked utterly confused.

"I thought they court-martialed him!" Akito sighed. "No, Gai-chan. They didn't. He swears up and down that it was someone else."

Gai growled softly. 'Someone else, my ass.' He got up from the bench, pulled the Martian into an embrace, and kissed him on the cheek. Hikaru squealed, "That's so cute!" Akito blushed a bit, but Gai was whispering something in his ear.

"Admiral or no, he's going to get it." Just as sudden as it had come, Gai let go and was walking a bit stiffly out of the room. Akito glared at the doorway before calling, "If you get yourself thrown off the ship, I'm not going to help you!"

~*~

Admiral Munetake had a very big problem with being on the Nadesico. This very big problem was how many stupid people were controlling the ship. The whole scene with the pilots back in the cafeteria confirmed it just that much more. Hopefully, with his scheduled meeting with the chief commander, he might get promoted and be able to get off this retarded ship. However, something made him stop in the hallway.

That something was one of those idiot pilots running up and getting in his way.

"Do you mind! I have a very important meeting and I can't be late!" The pilot didn't get out of his way, instead, kept getting in his way, and attempting to block him.

"What the hell are you doing here, Haircut-boy?!" The entire scene seemed so familiar, but so strange at the same time.

"Baka! Don't you know- Oh. You're one of the newer recruits, aren't you? Fine. I'm the UE representative on the godforsaken boat and you will address me as Admiral Munetake!" Finally he got past the stupid pilot. He was very irritable in the mornings. Mostly all day, in fact, he had to admit. But it was having to deal with all these stupid people that made him that way. Yes, that was it.

As the Admiral walked off, Gai glared holes into his back. 'The bastard. Thinks he can just walk off, does he? I'll get him back sooner or later.' Turning around, he made way back to his and Akito's room.

~*~

(Hikaru Interlude)

Hikaru was the only one of the four female pilots that went back to her dorm room. Izumi had gone to figure out what this whole "Crisis Counseling" thing was, and Ryoko had followed, because she had some more Itsuki issues to talk to someone about. Itsuki had, apparently, gone to talk about her Ryoko troubles. Hikaru was sick and tired of the two and wished they would just shut up and hook up.

Hikaru herself considered going to the counseling, but decided against it. If it was one thing she hated, it was others watching her cry. And if she talked about her problem, the one thing that she hated about her life, she was definitely going to do just that.

She climbed up into her top bunk and gathered her drawing supplies from the shelf by her pillow. She pulled off each shoe and threw them on opposite sides of the room, her usual ritual so she could dance around the room when she had to leave again. It was just something she liked to do. Much like her drawing.

She flipped through her current doujinshi to find the next blank page. She was in just the right mood to continue this scene. Very melancholy. One wouldn't be able to tell, but she was pretty depressed.

Why was a very good question. Her hand tightened around her pencil as it glided across the paper, outlining the face of her favorite pilot, Jyou, from Gekiganger. She now knew how Gekiganger ended. She knew what about the series that the pilot called Gai hated about it, that turned him away from it. She had to admit, even she, nothing more than a doujinshi artist and fanfiction writer, could write a much better ending. But even if it did end badly, she would not turn away from it.

Her hand made it's way across the page, making the drawing look so easy, but very experienced, as she made his hair the way she imagined it. Not the way it should be, but the way she, no one else, interpreted it. 'That's what's great about anime. No matter how it ends, there are a million universes that could make it different. They all exist in your head and make it even more alive. That creativity that binds it to its fans… that's what I truly love. It gives me something to hold onto.' Her eyebrows knit together as she drew his eyes. Eyes were usually her downfall, but if she was feeling right, she could do them to reflect the mood perfectly. Even so, she still wasn't a very famous writer, or artist, for that matter.

'I pretend I am, but nobody likes the way I do things.' Hikaru felt her eyes well up, but she blinked it back as she forced herself to continue drawing. 'I don't do this for them, anyway. I do it for me. Because I like it.' Many things she liked weren't understood. Her drawing was one of them. Dancing to music in her head was another. Writing was her favorite. 'I may be able to draw, and do it often, but there's nothing more satisfying than finishing a story.' Her hand continued to draw, almost at its own accord as she continued to think to herself. 'That's why I love being a mangaka. I can do both, without feeling bad.' She sighed. 'But I feel bad anyway. No one will read these. No one will enjoy these. No one, but myself.' She drew a speech bubble. 'There isn't another person here that will truly understand me. Not for who I really am. The stupid, silly girl that fantasizes about things that would never happen, that draws and writes dumb stories of romance that she wishes she had herself, that just wants someone to understand her…' Unintentionally, in the speech bubble, she had written, in her clumsy English, "Please try to understand, I want nothing more." Seeing what she had done, a sob dragged through her body, making her that much more shaky. She gathered the paper into her fist and threw it across the room, towards the already full wastebasket. It bounced to the floor. She yanked off her glasses before her eyes spilt over, and covered them.

And so, she wept.

~*~

(Inez Interlude, or Izumi Interlude)

Yurika walked up to Inez. The blond was just finishing listening to Izumi talk about how she's sick and tired of hearing Ryoko whine about Itsuki, hearing Itsuki ask everything about Ryoko, trying to get Hikaru to actually voice her true thoughts, all the while dealing with her own angst. The Martian doctor turned towards the Martian captain. "Yes, Captain?" Her tone was slightly amused, but was questioning as well.

"Has Akito come to see you yet?" Inez saw that coming. 'Akito again. No wonder Erina's always complaining about her obsession with that cook. She really does love her. I could never satisfy my little secretary, could I?'

"No, he hasn't." She smiled a bit as Izumi smirked a bit, catching her blue eyes with her red ones. 'Of course he hasn't, Miss Frassange. He's with Gai Daigohji. Tell her! Maybe she'll get it…' Inez nodded slightly to Izumi. "But neither has Yamada Jiro…" Laughter danced in the expressions of the pilot and the doctor. Yurika didn't understand whatever joke it was that they had, but she ran off to go to his room, the only place he could be if he was with the person he called his best friend.

Izumi actually let out her laugh as the blue-haired captain ran away. "I hope they aren't doing anything right now!" Inez chuckled. "Oh, I could imagine her face…" Inez smiled a bit hungrily, as if she really wanted to see the reaction. But she looked back at the blue-haired pilot. "Is that all?"

Izumi nodded, standing up. "Although…" Red met blue again. "You should hide it more." Inez was stunned. "How did you…" Izumi smirked. "It's so much easier when you know another lesbian. You, Itsuki… and a portion of me." A knowing look passed between them, then Izumi left in a quick movement. Gone, as if she wasn't there at all.

Inez blinked. Then made a little note on her paper about the silent pilot with the name of Maki Izumi. "While distressed with the relations of her friends, she's more open to love and sex than one who had lost two fiancées would normally be. With her somewhat newfound openness, she has decided that she is now bisexual. Possible attraction to pilot Amano Hikaru. Possible. Perhaps not. More research required."

~*~

(Hikaru Interlude)

It had taken her ten minutes to recuperate from her crying fit. Her upbeat otaku mask back in place, she went to go check on her Aesti. She often went to speak with it when she was feeling down. The smooth metal reflected her appearance, making her look within herself for answers. 'My Aesti is better than any psychiatrist.' She fondly petted the robot. 'A man-made friend stands by my side in battle. Feel my hardship, dear guardian. Together we may kill, but together we will triumph.' She watched a small smile play her lips as she recited the poem she wrote when she was still a greenhorn at controlling the metal monster, the creature she commanded to do her bidding on her enemies. "To use their bodies to create beauty. Ah, the tragic wonder of the useful weapons. The weapons that take my enemy's life, but preserve my own. Ah, the elegance of the dance, the dance of the fallen. To destroy the dead, to end their torment. That is our purpose on this planet. Only this, and nothing more. Precious friend, take me," whispered she, the ending of her hurtful poem. Her wide eyes behind her spectacles slid closed, as she willed herself to not weep again. 'Not today at least.'

A voice interrupted her depressive thoughts. "God dammit! Why can't this arm go back into the slot?!" It sounded like the head mechanic, Uribatake Seiya. Intrigued, Hikaru tiptoed over to find out what the ruckus was all about.

She just had to giggle at the sight. A full-grown man, fighting with the arm of an Aestivalis model. Apparently, it wouldn't go into its little hole, the little path that was supposed to hold it on. She decided to raise her voice. "Need some help?"

The mechanic jumped, then, realizing it was Hikaru, relaxed a bit. "I don't think you can do it, it's not like usual models." He was well aware that the girl in question was otaku, and many otaku built models.

Hikaru skipped over, feeling a bit better than before. "Try me." Uribatake shrugged and handed the smaller robot to her and then the arm. Hikaru sized up the opening, then the arm itself, skillfully; taking note of exactly what angle would work best, before snapping the two pieces in perfectly. She handed it back.

Uribatake was appalled. "You seem to have a knack for custom-made models." Hikaru shrugged and smiled. "Maybe I'm just good with my hands." The response got a laugh out of the mechanic. Hikaru's smile grew to a grin.

Uribatake picked up his paintbrush and brushed a few more strokes of the gray paint on the model before he asked Hikaru, "Say, you want to help me with this diorama? An extra set of hands certainly wouldn't hurt." Hikaru's eyes lit up. "Could I? Really? Thank you, Uri-P!"

A puzzled look from the mechanic. "'Uri-P'?" Hikaru giggled. "Yup, I usually have nicknames for everybody I know." She brightened up even more as she came and checked out the scene he was creating. It looked a lot like Kursk, which they had to march through most of. "Y'know… There's no way in hell an Aesti could get into that building." She pointed it out. "I know you probably built the building around it, but you need to get a hole in the ceiling or one of the walls so it looks more realistic." Uribatake studied the area she pointed out. "Hmmm… I guess it's really best to have a creative extra set of hands as well." The two laughed at his stupid joke and got set to work.

~*~

Akito had just got into his room when the door opened again, with Gai coming in this time. He stopped though, and turned right back around, going out into the hallway. Akito grabbed his sleeve and pulled him back in. "God, Gai, you'd think you couldn't stand to be in the same room as me anymore!"

Gai gulped. "Well, Akito, I still can't believe you can stand to be in the same room as me!" Akito just shook his head.

"Shut up and kiss me, baka." Akito wrapped his arms around Gai's neck and pulled himself on his tiptoes, as Gai was six inches taller than him. Gai grinned. "Your baka!" exclaimed he before kissing him, his own arms wrapping around his waist. Akito, being a bit more experienced in this area, though not by much, took over, his hands threading through the taller pilot's hair. He was just about to make this go a bit too far, tempting Gai to open his mouth when Gai pulled away, kissing only his cheek. Akito's eyes, which he didn't realized were closed, reopened. "Why did you do that…" His tone wasn't angry, just a little distressed.

Gai just hugged Akito as tight as he could. "I'm not really ready for this whole thing, you know?" Akito smiled and nodded. 'I have to remember that I am his first relationship… and he's pretty much my first serious one too. That's okay. I can wait. Really. Or… end up getting something like that elsewhere. I keep forgetting that I'm just experimenting. Experimenting. Yes, that's all.'

They pulled apart, and just in time. Yurika just barged into room that exact second. "Akito! You have to come with me to investigate Uribatake-san and his embezzlement issue!"

Akito sighed. 'I was just getting somewhere too…' He shot a suffering, apologetic look to Gai. Gai looked suffering as well, but nodded in understanding. Akito smiled a bit at him. 'He really is head over heels over me. God damn, I don't want to hurt him…' Akito sighed mentally. 'But I may end up having to.' He felt himself be dragged away.

Gai watched them go. 'So, that's how it'll end, eh? The fucking Captain will take him from me.' The Earthling pilot growled under his breath. 'Over my dead body.'

~*~

(Hikaru Interlude)

They were just finishing up the Kursk diorama when Akito and Yurika showed up. Hikaru felt a little bad about them coming and interrupting their fun, but she wasn't too upset. Besides, they probably had business to deal with at least one of them. Most likely Uribatake, since he showed her all his current projects, which seemed very expensive.

One of these projects, she learned, was a cyborg robot boy, very near completion, which would serve as Omoikane. He told her it was so the UE wouldn't be able to attack his consciousness again, but she had teased him about doing something for Ruri. Another of these projects was a scale model of the Nadesico itself, with perfect models of all the crew as well. She loved this one, seeing herself with her drawing tools, looking happy. It made her smile. But it was the final project that was of interest of the captain.

Akito practically drooled over the diorama. "It's so real!" he nearly squealed. Hikaru giggled. "I know! That's why Uri-P has been teaching me the methods of customizing hand-made models!"

Akito and Uri-P started talking about what scale it was, what certain way to make something look one way or another. Hikaru tried to pay attention, but her mind kept returning to the captain, who was looking at the models of herself and Ruri. Hikaru had thought it was amusing how Uri-P had given Ruri a bigger bust than Yurika, but it was even more hilarious as the captain realized this as well. Trying to keep herself from laughing, she inquired her, "Did you need to see us, Captain?"

Yurika's green eyes were blank for a moment, then they shone with realization. "Oh! That's right!" Setting down the two models, she stiffened herself. "Uribatake-san. Is this what you've been doing with all the money you embezzled?" Uri-P squeaked, surprised that the Captain knew about that. She continued, however, "Somehow, I don't think 'Eh?' is going to a response that accounting will accept!" Another squeak. "I demand to know where all this money's been going!"

Uribatake sighed. Hikaru knew instantly what he was going to do. While it was a large majority of the money, he's new Aestivalis frame was not all of it. But it might seem like it to the Captain, so Hikaru figured he would show her the giant weapon, rather than the "body" for Omoikane.

And the redhead was correct. She wasn't as awed the second time, but Akito and Yurika sure were, and Uri-P was very proud of himself. Though… Hikaru was surprised he mentioned the problems with it to the two Martians. The redhead noticed a bit of movement by the door, the only real source of light. "It's perfect!" yelled the figure.

The figure was, obviously, Admiral Munetake. "I want this weapon finished! This will definitely secure my position!" Uribatake was appalled.

"You're going to use my X-tavlis to secure your position in the pecking order!?" Hikaru could tell he was upset. She would be too. That is, if someone used her work to pull themselves out of their hole. It would be her work, and they would get credit. She couldn't help but be a little angry at the Admiral.

"Of course I am! I'll do anything to keep my place and anything that gets in my why will be crushed!" Akito gasped a bit. Hikaru didn't quite catch what that statement meant to Akito until much later.

'He… Gai was right! It was him! Admiral Munetake was the attacker and he got away with it!' A newfound hatred seeped through the Martian's veins. His brown eyes glared daggers through the Admiral's body, and he growled softly. Hikaru noticed all this, and wondered just what it was that angered the Martian, the one of that heritage she called her friend, in such a way.

~*~

Akito had rushed back to his and his current relationship's room immediately after Yurika had left the hangar bay to report to the Nergal officials. He had some things to talk about.

He ran into his room, barely remembering to even open the door, and yelled, "Gai! It was him! You were right!!!" Gai looked up from his anime magazine and smiled when he realized his boyfriend was back, but frowned when the statement left the cook's lips.

He sighed. "I figured. Stupid loyalties between rivals. Sticking up each other…" He looked down. "I somehow knew it was him. Even when it happened. I don't know why I couldn't do anything about it…"

"But you can definitely do something now." Gai looked up and stared him in the face. "What?"

Akito smiled. "He's very close to losing his job. He's about to be demoted. You make it clear that he was the true attacker, he definitely won't be on the Nadesico anymore." Gai considered this. It was the perfect revenge. It didn't get anyone directly hurt in a physical way, no, but…

Gai stood up and made a beeline for the door. Akito followed him with his eyes. "Going to do that, Gai-chan?" Gai shook his head before turning back to the Martian he was obsessed with. 'He takes everything to the extremes. I think that's what I really like most about him.' "Nope. Something else. Don't worry, my dear. I'll take care of him in my own way." He smiled. It wasn't a harsh smile, but it oozed with one statement, "Don't meddle." Gai left on that note.

~*~

How Mei really wasn't surprised that, between lunch and dinner, the "crazy old pilot" named Gai would take up a place in the cafeteria to confront the Admiral. In fact, she was pretty interested to see how the argument would go.

The two had just sat down. Munetake glared at the insubordinate-acting pilot. "Just what is it that you want? I have many duties to attend to and I don't need to be busied with the silly problems of a random crew member!"

Gai simply leaned his chin on both of his hands. He closed his eyes. "Tell me, Admiral, do you remember when the Nadesico broke through the Big Barrier? The night you escaped? Someone was in the hangar, you know. And I know you know." His eyes opened again. "I was shot, in attempt to kill me. You do realize the seriousness of murder. My question is, are you certain that everything happened as stated in your report?"

Munetake wasted no time. He crossed his arms. "Of course it did," answered he.

"Wrong." The true remark rang through the Admiral's mind like a death bell. 'Shit. I forgot that he actually saw it. Damn damn damn.' "It was you, and you know it."

Munetake shook his head, trying to shake the word out of his mind. "So what if it was me?! No one will believe you! You've hated me since day one, everyone knows that! You have no proof!" He stopped his angry come-back to glare at the boy before him.

Gai just glared back. "You think I don't know that? There isn't much I could do to get you thrown off the ship for that, is there? But really, what were you thinking? Do you really care so much about your job to hurt someone? To intend to kill someone simply because they stand in the way of what you want?" The questions nearly drowned the Admiral.

He shook his head again, why couldn't he think straight? Why did the question have so much of an effect on him? "This is a war, baka! There's no room for right or wrong anymore! People have to make their actions for themselves!" It seemed like the only rational answer. It was, at least, the only one he could come up with.

Gai nodded, understanding this point. "In the end, there is no right or wrong. The only right in the world is when one goes with their instinct, what they think is right. One shouldn't act on the situation, but one's standing, what they believe."

Silence overtook the cafeteria once again. How Mei smiled to herself. 'A close match, but a tie in the end.' She continued her peeling of the potato in her hand, but she was interrupted.

"Excuse me, but could I borrow a few tea strainers, Miss How Mei?" questioned the light voice. Amano Hikaru, of course. She had just asked a few minutes ago for some baking soda. How Mei smiled warmly at the girl. "Still working on your snow diorama?" Hikaru nodded. "We just started it! It's going great!" The head cook handed the small sieves to the perky pilot and watched her skip away.

~*~

(Hikaru Interlude or Uribatake Interlude)

Hikaru shook the strainer and watched some of the baking soda sift itself out of it, falling just like little snow flakes. She giggled. It made her think of when her family sometimes left the colony during Christmas to visit the place where her mother's family had come from, Ireland. She really liked sledding, so she made many snow hills in the diorama. "This is great!" She turned a bit, looked at a more barren area of the scene. "I'll add more snow over here!" She grinned widely. This was fun.

"The little crystals in baking soda have a perfect snow effect!" Uribatake smiled at her. "Just look at how they glitter!" The last word was barely out before he realized he was staring at her. Some of the baking soda had gotten all over her uniform and hair, making her sparkle slightly. The pure glee on her face enhanced it that much more. He blushed just the slightest.

Hikaru felt eyes on her. Her eyebrows knit together and she turned toward the mechanic. She saw him close his eyes tightly and shake his head, as if to shake some random thought away. "What's wrong?"

Uribatake took a deep breath. "Hikaru…"

A face got in his line of vision. "What're you doing! You're not supposed to be playing with toys, you're supposed to be build my X-Aestivalis!" 'God dammit, the Admiral ruins the best moments…' Uribatake scratched his head. "I finished that already! But…"

Munetake's face was starting to turn purple. "But what?!"

Uribatake led the two of them back into the warehouse of the hangar. "There are design problems. I wanted to give it a show-stopping cannon, and 'X-cannon', so I gave it a gravity blast cannon. But if it actually tried to charge up enough energy to fire the gun, it'd blow up! Still, it was only an idea I had, not a full-blown development project. Oh well." Uribatake shrugged. Munetake didn't take this whole situation well.

He grabbed Uribatake's collar and lifted him up. "Now listen here! You're going to finish this robot and make it perfect! I'm at the end of my plank, the end of my rope! This is the only thing that can save my ass and you're going to fix it or I'll nail your worthless hide to the wall!"

Nobody but Hikaru noticed the Captain come in until she was between the two men, yelling, "Break it up!"

Hikaru wondered why she couldn't do anything to defend Uribatake. He was a good friend, after all. 'Maybe,' she thought, 'even if he is a friend, I understand him too? I don't really think he'd like a girl defending his butt, even if they did it out of friendship. Could it be that he actually understands me, if I understand him?'

~*~

Munetake sat back down on the bench that he sat on this morning. That he sat on during his discussion with that pilot. His job was as over, he knew, and nothing he could do would fix it. The robot was defective, the pilot could go to anyone and tell the truth about what had happened. So many things going wrong in one day.

How Mei was usually the last one in the kitchens, but she realized that the Admiral still sat in the cafeteria. "Um… Sir? We're closing the Galley now…"

The answer was strange. "I used to believe all that myself. You heard the crazy pilot go on and on, didn't you, Miss?" How Mei slowly nodded, wondering where this would lead. "I used to believe that one following their instincts was the true way to power and righteousness. But no. Since I joined the UE Spacey, it has been all about lies and deceit, kicking people when they're down, ruining people to get to the top." He finally got up and left the cafeteria.

As much as How Mei didn't like him, she couldn't help but be a little worried about him. 'I hope he doesn't do anything he'll regret.'

Munetake knew exactly where he was going. He wasn't disoriented in the least bit, no matter how much he looked the part. He opened the door to the infirmary. He would give himself the nanomachine injection. He would be the one to pilot the robot called X.

~*~

(Hikaru Interlude or Uribatake Interlude)

Hikaru and Uribatake had been working on the diorama for hours on end. Hikaru sighed. "I need to take a break." She took off her spectacles and stretched her back. It had been in a bent position for several hours.

Uribatake blushed. "You know, you're cute with your glasses off?" Hikaru looked at him, trying to figure out what he meant, then let the happy otaku mask slip back into place. "Come on! You could do a little better than that. No writer today would dare use that line, it sounds like something from a hundred-year-old romantic comedy!" She nudged him in the ribs. "So what're you trying to say, Uri-P?"

Uribatake smiled. "I was just thinking that if I met a girl like you a long time ago I'd be a much happier man."

Hikaru gasped. 'The mask must stay, don't lose the mask, Hikaru-chan…' "A girl like me? Oh! You've got to be kidding me!" She shook her head hastily.

Uribatake's smile turned upside down. "It's true you know. You understand the same references, the same jokes…" Hikaru smiled a bit. "Well, it is much more fun when you're tastes are similar… And I'm sure you'll make some woman very happy someday!" It had completely slipped Hikaru's mind that he was married.

Uribatake laughed. "You think so!?" Then he realized the predicament he was in. "Ah… Hikaru… I-" But before he could say anything, Hikaru had turned away and interrupted any confession or apology he was going to make.

"We should stop." Uribatake made a grunt of surprise, but stayed quiet so she could continue. "I only came here so that I would have a friend. A friend that, I thought, would want to understand me." She reached over and played with the head of the Aesti model she customized, her precious "Sailor Aestivalis", as she dubbed it. "People misunderstand me all the time, to the point that they don't even try anymore. I… I miss being able to talk about everything I liked, anything I wanted to, with a very close friend. I haven't been able to do that since I moved out on my last boyfriend." 'I'm lying through my teeth. I didn't leave him, he left me.'

Uribatake had to comment. "You mean you've actually lived with a man before?" Hikaru nodded. Uribatake made a feeble laugh. "Well, I guess I am an old coot, and you're a modern girl and all…"

Hikaru looked down. "It was with him that I realized love and friendship are different things. They felt the same, but only one could be completely present at one time. I… I'm sorry Uri-P. I'll make this the last time I come here." Hikaru put her glasses back on, took a deep breath, and left the hangar bay.

Uribatake didn't even turn around. Her words had made a mark on him. Looking at the cheerfully colored model, he imagined he had discovered something about Hikaru few people knew.

'She hides behind her cheerfulness. She's afraid of facing her sadness, so she covers her depression with mock happiness. Inside, she screaming, wailing for someone to console her, to want to know her the way she is, not the way she presents. God, I really did misunderstand her.' The mechanic sighed, and went back to work on his models, though he was quite so motivated anymore.

~*~

Munetake staggered onto the bridge just as the Nadesico was nearing the Cosmos. Woozy and sense in disarray, he peered out the window to see them smoothly riding towards, what looked like to him at least, the enemy.

"It's… the enemy," he whispered. Although it was quiet, Yurika heard this statement, and turned around to ask for an explanation. Munetake was already heading back towards the hangar bay, yelling, "It's time to launch the Aestiva-X!" Yurika looked confused for a bit, then ordered Megumi to send all pilots out to go get the crazy old Admiral.

~*~

Munetake hummed a little nursery rhyme to himself, as he launched the X-sti to go and take care of the Jovian menace. "Why put others in the line of danger when I can do it myself? Screw Earth, I'll fight them for myself!" Itsuki glared at him through a communications window.

"Look, baka, get your ass back in the Nadesico before we blow you up!" Izumi appeared right next to his face. "Why don't we just blow him up?" Then Akatsuki appeared, "The Captain wants him brought back alive."

Gai was kicking himself. "God damn it, if I hadn't told him all that crap he wouldn't be going off!" Akito's face appeared before his own. "Don't say that, Gai-chan," whispered he, "You did what your heart told you to." Gai shook his head.

"Don't you see? It doesn't work that way any more!" Munetake took aim with the gravity blast cannon. Ryoko gasped.

"What should we do?" asked she. Usually she was the one giving orders. Itsuki made one nod with her head. "We'll have to drag him back, I guess."

Uribatake's face appeared, and he yelled, "You can't! He's already started charging up the cannon! It's too late!" Hikaru was the first one that caught the message, and was flying like a bat out of hell back toward the Nadesico. Akatsuki and Izumi followed, then Itsuki and Ryoko, until Gai and Akito were the only two left.

Gai pounded on his interface. "If only I kept my mouth shut…" Akito could do nothing now. Akito was afraid of people dying too, but he didn't know what to do.

~*~

No, it was only after hours that things really changed around the Nadesico.

The two pilots walked back to their room, but Gai was so distraught, he didn't even know what to do. He settled for just sitting on his bed while Akito took a shower. He still sat when Akito came out, rubbing his hair, which seemed to get longer everyday.

"I really really need a haircut…" Akito changed quickly into his off-duty shirt and a pair of shorts. Satisfied that he was dry, he sat down on Gai's bed too. However, getting antsy, he laid down, resting the back of his head on his boyfriend's lap. "Are you okay, Gai-chan?"

Gai nodded slowly. "I didn't even like him. But still…" Akito nodded too. "I know. You knew him. He wasn't just a faceless being to you. You knew of him, it was an actual person who died, instead of a voice and an opinion."

Gai smiled down at the Martian, and reached down, petting his hair. "God, I love you Akito. You know that, right?"

Akito did. Gai couldn't lie about something like that. "I… I know, Gai. But I still don't know, okay? Give me time." The Earthling nodded.

~*~

(Ruri Interlude)

Ruri, at the end of her shift, decided to go see the old mechanic to check up on the creation of her best friend. Uribatake was back to work on it, and fastening little wires to different parts of the body on the table. Mostly to the head.

"Need my help?" Ruri had already absorbed the fact there was only the transfer left before there was completion. She figured that this portion would have to be her work. Hardware could only go so far with out software to work it. That software would be the tree itself, and it would be difficult to get the system to let go of it.

Uribatake noted her presence, and nodded. Ruri felt something wrong with the mechanic, but didn't think anything on it. Instead, the girl walked over to the head of the body, studying it's face.

It looked around her age, with the look of a boy. There was synthetic light brown hair coming out of his head, and his eyes were closed. One thing that was different was that the robot wore a pair of glasses with thick frames.

"Why does a robot need glasses?" asked she, pressing her hand upon his forehead. She felt the interface she was so used to beneath the rubbery skin. Uribatake looked over and saw her concern. "Oh, I had problems with the coloring in his vision. I couldn't get the right lenses with the right mechanical pieces into each eye, so I just put them into a pair of glasses. Without them, he'll only see in red, blue, and green." Ruri nodded. This made sense. She watched the man fasten the last wire to the fake skin. Her other hand reached over to the uncovered interface next to the table.

"Ready, Ruriruri-chan. Go ahead." The silent girl nodded and felt her eyes go out of focus. It was like fitting into an old pair of shoes that never were too small. She searched out the tree within the computer, the center of it's consciousness, and gracefully touched a branch. The other hand grew warm. The branch instantly shattered to pieces, the shards being absorbed by her. And so she went along the tree, absorbing the shards of the consciousness as she sent it along towards the robot boy on the table. Moving each and every file of memory, each file that the computer had marked as it's own, into the impenetrable brain of the body, the figure that the being known only as Omoikane had so asked for since he had first been implanted onto the Nadesico.

She absorbed the very last flower, then she let her eyes refocus as she slumped in her chair in exhaustion. Uribatake looked a little spooked and shuddered a bit. "I still can't get over the way your eyes glow when you do that." Ruri smiled very very slightly.

She looked onto the face of the boy that now held all the information, all the feelings that Omoikane ever had. 'This is the boy who will now be known only as Omoikane.' She just watched his face as Uribatake told her of how his signs of life sky-rocketed from the second she started to piece apart the more intimate files of Omoikane.

She merely blinked when she watched Omoikane's eyes slowly open. They glowed blue, as they would to anyone who used the nanomachine computer interface that was only, really, experimental. But as the electronic lights faded, she could see that he really did have blue eyes.

"Ohayo, Omoikane." Omoikane's lips separated. "Ruri-sama!" he gasped before sitting straight up. His voice was slightly young-sounding, but there wasn't much one could about that. Besides, it was just the smallest bit endearing. "Ruri-sama! I'm really here, in the same room as you?"

Ruri nodded. Uribatake seemed to be the only one that noticed that Omoikane was still undressed, so he handed a brand-new orange uniform to the cyborg. Omoikane moved his sky colored gaze from the girl that had reign over him to the man that created him. "Thank you so much… Otosan?" Uribatake lifted an eyebrow. "Father? Since when was your father?"

Omoikane smiled. "You built me my body, silly!" Ruri tapped him on the shoulder, and he turned too quickly. "Ahhhhh… I'm dizzy now." Ruri nodded, but made her point clear. "I'll show you to everyone in the morning. Remember, Omoikane-chan, you were created to be my back-up. You won't let me down?"

Omoikane shook his head. "Hai, Ruri-sama!" He saluted with such seriousness even Ruri had to smile.

TBC…

~*~

A/N: My god! That was the longest one yet! Don't expect another extremely long one like this for a long time, maybe in another ten chapters… So, my stalking Munetake-fan, did I handle him well enough? To everyone else, is there anything that bugged you about this one? Did I make a bit too depressing on Hikaru's behalf? If I did, I'm NOT sorry! She's really a very depressed girl on the inside, you know. And I ended it on a Ruri interlude because the next chapter will be nothing much except a Ruri interlude. Also, the appearance of Prince Ariko is in the next chapter! I wouldn't expect it in a while, I need a break! 


	11. A difficult decision...

A/N: When I said I was taking a vacation, I meant it, yo! Well, I told myself this wasn't going to be long, but that was a load of crap. But oh well, you guys deserve it for being so patient! ^^ Since this is all about Episode 18, this chappie is mostly Ruri interlude. But there's stuff about Omoikane, her brother Ariko, and other people too! Oh, and with the starting scene, THEY ARE PLAYING AROUND, they aren't doing anything… yeah. Oh, and for some reason, if you have the desire to listen to a certain type of music while reading… ("You Owe Me Nothing" by Alanis Morisette,"At the Beginning" by Richard Marx and Donna Lewis, "Blue Fields", "Where I Belong", "Cloud's Theme", and "Holding my Thoughts in my Heart" by Uematsu Nobou) But anyway, on to the fic!

~*~

The room was very dark… but it had seen many dark nights and days, so this was no different. But this time, it was dark for a reason. And that reason also wasn't a depressing one.

Akito giggled. "Gai-chan, stop that. It tickles! I'm trying to sleep here, ya know?"

Gai laughed too. "It's supposed to tickle, stupid. And sleep is for weenies. Get up so we can cuddle some more, onegai?"

"We've been cuddling all night, and we are right now, if you'd stop it with the side thing, now shut up and let me go to sleep, I'm tired!"

Akito was just about to surprise his boyfriend by hitting him with his pillow, when the lights flashed on. They froze. At the same time, they both thought, 'Yurika?!' But it wasn't her. It was Hikaru. "Hey, Gai-chan, where's those tapes you said you had? I need them right now, I'm doing a flashback scene!" She walked over towards the bookcase and started rummaging, obviously looking through the piles of laundry on the bookcase for them.

Akito glared at her from his futon. "Oi oi, Hikaru-chan, don't you KNOCK?" He was slightly annoyed. Mostly because now TWO people were interrupting his precious sleep.

Hikaru moved from the bookcase to the dresser drawers. "Nope. Gai-chan, where are they???"

Gai sighed. 'The tapes were for Christmas for 'Kito… guess I got… ahem, distracted…' "Damn you Hikaru, I was going to give him them tomorrow morning... I guess not." Gai reaches under his bed (yes, he has a bed) and pulls out a somewhat forgotten Christmas present. He plops it into the Martian's lap. "Hikaru-chan ruined the surprise, so just open it, will ya?"

Akito gives him a confused look, shrugs, then unwraps the present. To his surprise, he finds, nothing new, but some very old things.

"All of your Gekiganger stuff!? I remember when you told me you'd gouge out my eyeballs if I touched them!"

Gai blinked. "I said that? Gomen." Akito shook his head. "It was funny, baka."

Hikaru cleared her throat and adjusted her glasses, trying to get the two male pilots to notice her. "Excuse me? I'm still here, you know. Argue later. Akito-chan, give me Episode 27 or you shall suffer… some sort of torture. Can't tell you what kind though, because…. I'm too tired to remember." She plucked the correct disk out of the box.

"Too tired? Why? What time is it?" asked Gai, who actually didn't give a damn. Apart from the fact he was keeping track of how many hours he's stayed up. Last time he checked, it was 10 P.M., and he was at 27 hours.

Hikaru looked at her watch. "2:15."

Akito's jaw drops. "'2'-fucking-'15'??? I have to get up in two goddamn hours! GAI, I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!!!!!" Hikaru left the room giggling.

Gai was able to choke out "Will you PLEASE learn to knock!" before Akito started to attempt to strangle him.

~*~

(Omoikane Interlude)

Step, step, step, turn. Step, step, step, turn. Back… and forth… and back…

"This is too long!" whined a certain robotic boy called Omoikane as he continued to pace in his birth-room. "I have been waiting here for approximately 7 hours, 21 minutes, and 22 seconds! I want to go out now!!!"

Omoikane, since the idea that his consciousness could be transferred to a robotic body, has been excited about the idea of meeting the crew of the Nadesico, and interacting with them. He was very tired of having to just watch the crew on their duties.

He remembered her exact words from the night before. The words that tumbled out of Ruri's mouth and sealing him to this room.

'"I'll show you to everyone in the morning. Remember, Omoikane-chan, you were created to be my back-up. You won't let me down?"

Omoikane shook his head. "Hai, Ruri-sama!" He saluted with such seriousness even Ruri had to smile. "Omoikane, you must stay in here for the night. We cannot risk people finding out before we're ready, so no one must see you."

Omoikane nodded. "I won't leave, Ruri-sama."

"Good."'

'If I didn't save that on backup… I want out, not fair!' His curiosity and excitement levels started to get uncontrollable. "Why did she have to tell me to… what did she say again?" He tried to bring up the file… but it was corrupted? 'Nani… Oh! That means I can go now!' He was completely oblivious that he had, in fact, become more human. Simply because his excitement overwrote Ruri's words.

Omoikane wondered through several halls, some dark, some very bright, as if it wasn't nighttime at all.

His eyes nearly popped out when he heard a muffled familiar voice. "I'm not that stupid, but I'm telling you, the rumor's true!"

'Megumi Reinard. Communications officer. Previous employment, voice actress.' He then heard another voice, muffled and familiar, but not beautiful like Megumi's. "How are you so sure, Meg?"

'Haruka Minato. Helmswoman. Previous employment, secretary.' He hacked himself into their conversation. 'Ruri-sama's going to yell at me… but I want to know what's going on!' Two windows appeared before his face, one of Minato, the other of Megumi. 'Yes! Now I can listen and not be seen!'

"I know because I saw them yesterday! My god! Akito and Yamada were all over each other! It's fucking disgusting!" Megumi shuddered at the thought.

Minato's eyebrows knit together. "No it isn't, Meg. There's nothing wrong with a man being in love with a man instead of a woman."

Megumi's face, which had turned white, flipped back to purple at her anger. "Yes there is! It's unnatural! Women should be with men, and men should be with women!" She sighed. "Akito's a pervert, now, I guess. I don't understand why I liked him in the first place."

Minato was hit with confusion. "You don't like Akito anymore? News to me. So, I'm guessing you have another guy to chase, am I right?"

Megumi's face went to way it was normally. She smiled slightly. "Well, Akatsuki-san is… rather eye-appealing." She bit her lip. "Besides… He reminds me of a man in a dream I had once. He was all dressed in white, and had long black hair..."

"Excuse me, I've never seen you before. Who are you?" came a voice from behind Omoikane. He quickly closed the two windows and turned around.

Inez saw the electric blue sparks in his eyes, a side effect of using the newer technology in Nanomachines. 'They're like Ruri's… but more… metallic. As if his eyes were built, not just there.' "I… think you better come with me," She gave him a knowing smile. "Omoikane."

~*~

"…Now let's run through this again, just to make sure I'm understanding correctly. Your name is…" Inez looked into the boy's ears. 'Microphones, really now.'

"I'm Omoikane! Serial number SVC-2027!" chirped he. Miss Fressange had been one of the people on the ship he really liked. So, of course, he coughed up whatever she wanted to know.

"And just what do you do on the Nadesico? Judging by your uniform, you're on the bridge, correct?" She shined a small flashlight into his eyes. His pupils stayed dilated.

"Uh-huh! I'm Ruri-sama's backup. Whenever Ruri-sama gets tired, I do her work!" He punctuated this statement with a grin. Inez couldn't believe that this happy-go-lucky child could be the embodiment of the intelligent computer Omoikane, but…

"Alright, Omoikane. Who created you?"

"Why, Uribatake Seiya, of course. No one else on the Nadesico knows how to build a completely functional robot to stand as a human being…" His hands flew to his mouth. 'I am in a fair amount of trouble now… I was not allowed to say anything!'

Inez was smiling, but not smirking, as if she was just let in on important information. "Don't worry. I knew he did it. No one else here could, as you said. You can trust me Omoikane." She scribbled something on her clipboard. "As a cyborg, I trust you have amazing technology. You proved that in your hacking. No console before you, you bypassed the encryption codes as easy as breathing." Her eyes met his. "I don't think you should tell anyone about what you can do."

Omoikane blinked. "No one, Miss Fressange?"

Inez thought for a moment. 'If he keeps it confidential, it may become vital that we know. If it's widely known however… Somehow, Erina seems just power-greedy enough to do something about it.' "I've got it. Tell only those that are allied to the Nadesico. Not Nergal." Omoikane opened his mouth, possibly to ask what she meant, but Inez silenced him with a look. 'You know what I mean.'

Omoikane nodded slowly. "I won't tell anyone but Kanchou, Haruka-san, and Miss Reinard. I promise, Miss Fressange."

Inez nodded back. "At some point, everyone will know, but that's fine for now."

~*~

The blue-haired pilot yawned and rubbed her crimson eyes before turning to her comrade across the table. "Hikaru-chan, if you don't get your face off of there, you WILL have crumbs embedded into your cheek."

The much-shorter girl grunted in response, but her face still stayed rested on the plate, which her crumb bun used to sit. Izumi supported her head with one hand. "Fine, whatever, but don't crumb whine to me as if I'm your granule that will clean you right up." Izumi snorted. "I'm really getting crusty." She giggled again. Hikaru groaned.

"Yes, you are, and one more reference to my choice of breakfast food-" Hikaru's threat was cut off as the door opened and closed. Itsuki waved as she made her way through the other tables to sit next to Izumi.

"And just where is my lovely little Third Angel? My height, green hair, gorgeous eyes, answers to Ryoko or 'Fighting Force'?" Hikaru snorted at the old pilot's school name their classmates named her.

"Ryoko hasn't been sleeping well. Nightmares. We're letting her sleep some more. Trust me, she needs it," answered the tallest of the female pilots.

Itsuki glanced at Hikaru across from them. "Shouldn't you send her back to bed too? She looks really beaten and rugged." Izumi suppressed a laugh at Itsuki's attempt to make a pun. "No, she's fine."

Hikaru mumbled something about being a light sleeper and able to work on the fewest number of winks. Of course, she could have been babbling about eighteen-wheelers and pork lasting very few weeks, but they just assumed the former and disregarded the latter. Izumi began to poke at her omelet as Itsuki watched her. Crimson met deep brown in a glare. "You ARE aware of how close I am with my food, are you not?"

Itsuki smirked. "I'm not hungry Izumi, don't you worry." The flirtatious pilot jumped up and ran to the ordering counter. "Oh, Tenkawa-san…" She called out, singsong fashion.

"Itsuki, you will sit your ass down and shut the hell up. Now!" A sigh. "I have the mother of all headaches…"

Itsuki didn't sit down as ordered, but, rather, shot a rather confused look into the kitchen. "Are you going through PMS or something, Tenkawa-san?" Itsuki was sure Akito would throw something at her, but he didn't because the door to the cafeteria opened and closed once again.

Gai came in; completely silent, sat down next to Hikaru, and put his face on the table in the same manner as she. Akito, out by the counter and brandishing a spatula, saw this act that screamed, "I'm tired as fuck. Leave me alone." Itsuki barely had time to duck when the spatula left Akito's hand, hitting its target (Gai's shoulder) with practiced precision.

"Look, I don't ever want to HEAR this from you! 'You're not allowed to go to sleep', I'll show you not allowed to go to sleep!" yelled the Martian, his headache and anger making a vein in his forehead pop out.

Izumi and Itsuki were shocked at this display. "Jesus Christ…" whispered Izumi. Itsuki had her own two cents. "Note to self, sleepy Akito is pissy Akito..." The quieter pilot nodded.

Hikaru, on the other hand, was assessing the situation. 'Holy fuck, Akito's pissed. I haven't ever since him this pissed off… and the only big thing recently, other than Munetake croaking of course, was him and Gai-chan getting together…' She raised her head and rubbed both cheek and eyes. "Anyone know what's on the agenda for today?" she asked, trying to change the subject. 'I hate confrontations.'

Izumi pulled up her sleeve a bit, and pushed a button on her communicator. A window popped up showing all of the events happening today: February 7th, 2198. "Meeting after breakfast." Itsuki snorted. "More like 'Meeting after everyone wakes up.'" Izumi nodded, the corners of her mouth turning up a bit. "Free and clear for the rest of the day."

Hikaru seems to wake up at that statement. "Yes! A chance to get some work done!" Itsuki poked Izumi in the arm. "Care for a game of table tennis in the rec. hall? I feel like showing off my skills."

Gai pulled his head up, finally, but looked very thoughtful. 'Today is the 7th… it's 'Kito's birthday in approximately 19 days… Turning twenty? Lucky older bastard. Well, not really, he missed his 19th birthday… too much thinking…' He felt some pressure on the top of his head as Akito sat down next to him.

"We're going to the rec hall too. I give you my permission to completely whoop my ass in Aesti Fighter." A daring, yet forgiving smile played the Martian's face. 'I'll forgive you for now… maybe.'

Gai mirrored it. "You're on, 'Kito-chan." Hikaru squeaked a bit, completely and totally awake and aware now. "Oh, so last night really was what I thought it was..."

The two male pilots both stood up abruptly, their chairs skidding across the floor, one of them falling over. Akito started screaming first. "No, nothing happened! This bastard just wouldn't leave me alone and let me sleep!"

Gai followed suit, backing up the Martian cook's story. "No, nothing at all! I was just... afraid it was a dream..." Akito's brown eyes flashed with realization. 'Fuck…. I don't remember him sleeping recently…' The Martian turned on his heels to face his Earthling boyfriend, giving him one of the hardest glares the three females had seen in a long time.

"So you haven't slept in two days because you thought all this was a dream and you didn't want to wake up?"

Gai, afraid of what would happen if he answered dishonestly, nodded very slowly, afraid of telling the truth as well. He must have been slow due to weariness, as he didn't even see the pale hand shoot from Akito's side to the side of his head until it stung from the blow. "Baka! Screw that, you get your ass to bed, right now!"

Gai made a sound that seemed much like a mouse, as he scurried, not ran, out of the cafeteria and in the direction of their room.

Akito sighed heavily as he sat back down across from Izumi. He notices her red eyes trained on him. "Such is the work of the dominatrix," she says plainly. Akito was confused. "Eh?"

The violet-haired pilot next to her smiled her indecent smile. "Tenkawa-san, you obviously hold the whip." Hikaru, her eyelids beginning to droop again, nodded.

Akito stood up once again. Hikaru immediately covered her ears. Sure enough, the boy had started yelling at the other two females.

'Yeah… Gai's definitely pissed him off more than should be happening. What the hell? Gai loves Akito… and Akito isn't sure. That much I know. Maybe… being with Gai isn't the best thing for him…'

~*~

(Ruri Interlude)

The pilots sure were cursing their alarm clocks by the time the meeting had begun. At least two of them were fighting the urge to fall asleep at their stations, while one (Itsuki, of course) was snoring softly. Mr. Prospector cleared his throat, but he knew that wouldn't wake them up so easily. "Ruri-chan, didn't you have someone to introduce us to?"

Ruri nodded, but, right when her mouth opened, a private invisible communications window popped up before her. It was blank, but she heard Omoikane's voice, very softly. "Ruri-sama, please don't tell them I'm a robot! Miss Fressange said it would be better if they thought I was just a human and not anything special." Ruri nodded, very slightly.

"I present to you, crew of the Nadesico, to my new assistant… Sarutahiko Omoikane. He was the… failure at learning how to control the console, but he was the first attempt, so they named two different computer systems after him." Ruri's amber colored eyes glinted a bit at Omoikane. Omoikane blushed at this. 'She did a wonderful job at covering it up. Of course she did! She's Ruri-sama!'

The crew (or, rather, that of the crew that wasn't sleeping or half-asleep) nodded or welcomed him, and went on their basic duties.

Omoikane whispered thanks to Ruri. Ruri just glanced at him before she went to her position and begin playing video games. Omoikane got the message. 'I know you meant to tell some people the truth, feel free now.'

The robot boy walked up the steps to where Minato sat, her hands limply draped on the controls. "Um, Haruka-san? I have… a secret to tell you" Minato leaned back and focused her brown eyes on his mechanical blue.

"I already know, little metal man." Omoikane's jaw dropped. "But how-"

Minato closed her eyes in a relaxed form. "I used to work for Asuka Incorporated. The company who actually created the nanomachine console and computer system. Nergal just stole it." Omoikane was amazed. "Wow... That made it very easy…"

Minato smiled at him warmly. "Good luck with Meg and Kanchou." Omoikane gulped, she made them sound very… Well, his fantasy wasn't pretty. He slowly walked to the opposite side of Ruri, who paid him no attention; she was absorbed in Fighting Kanji. Omoikane cleared his throat when he reached the chair of the purple-haired girl. "Excuse me… Miss Reinard?" He didn't get another word out before Megumi's baby blues were mirroring his.

"Omoikane, it would take an idiot to not know. Luckily, I have this strange feeling that everyone here is just stupid enough to qualify for that." A snort came from Ruri. The robot heard the silver-head whisper something like, "It took them this long to discover that?" Omoikane smiled, now reassured about telling the captain, as he nearly bounded up the steps to tell her.

~*~

Needless to say, Yurika happened to be one of those idiots, but she saw nothing wrong with it. "Omoikane-chan, you're Ruri-chan's best friend. I can't hold anything against you!" Her tone was enough to make someone want to die of sugar-overdose, but it made Omoikane trust her just that much more.

Over the next week or so, they weren't truly sure how long it was, Minato, Megumi, and Yurika soon discovered why they needed to know the truth of the robot boy. He could be nowhere to be seen, but the computer would still make the best choices based on its experience, as if Ruri herself was controlling it. His hacking abilities were unmatched anywhere on the ship, not even by Uribatake or Mr. Prospector. Everyone just seemed to think Ruri made a wise decision on which her assistant would be, but she and a select few knew better.

Since Omoikane needed to take breaks with everyone else for meals, though not necessarily in the sleep department, Ruri was able to eat her lunch much earlier, beating the crowds in the cafeteria and having time to herself on the bridge during the riotous meal. In this time, she had begun to amuse herself by reading the history of mankind.

~*~

Omoikane licked his lips at the small meal before him at lunch. Right before picking up his chopsticks, however, he heard a small, but very familiar voice in his head. Ruri. He put down the wooden tools so he could focus on what she was saying.

"This just seems to be a history of wars... If I live to be a hundred, 90 years of my life will be nothing but war. There was no war in my first ten years. I remember so little. Omoikane, why don't I remember?"

'This is a familiar question.' He searched his recent memory, and announced the results. "You have, approximately, asked this question 1,257 times. The answer is the same," he replied, knowing that people were beginning to stare at him.

Ruri blinked. 'I should have expected that…' "Please display all of my records." Omoikane pulled up a file that seemed to open everyday. He read it aloud to himself, as Ruri did the same.

"Seven years ago, an unidentified orphan named Ruri was adopted by a couple that worked for Nergal. Their task was to train her to use the Asuka Incorporated computer console. She was to be Computer Operator of a ship called the Nadesico, which was to be completed in six years."

Ruri blinks again. 'I know that nearly by heart now.' "I remember all that, but I want to know what happened before!" Omoikane snorted in frustration. "Blank. Unknown. There isn't anything there, Ruri-sama!"

Ruri sighed and leaned back in her chair. "The answer never changes. You don't know. And I remember so little..."

~*~

Splish. Splash.

Ruri's eyes opened and saw nothing but her mobile. She closed her eyes again, in attempts to go back to sleep, but she was now fully awake. 'That dream again…' Beep! Megumi's face appeared before her as she reopened her eyes. "Hello, Ruri, are you awake? We need you to come to the bridge immediately." Ruri's heart skipped a beat. "Are we under attack?"

Megumi smiled. "No, actually. Someone is here to see you." Her face disappeared as fast as it appeared. Ruri was confounded. 'Somebody to see me? But I don't know anyone off the ship.'

~*~

If it weren't un-Ruri-like, she would have wrinkled her nose. But it was un-Ruri-like. "What is Peaceland?" The Peaceland Emissary vessel, a somewhat small shuttle decorated extravagantly, was slowly making its way to the Nadesico's dock.

Omoikane listened intently on all the information the Captain and Mr. Prospector started to feed Ruri, though he knew it all already. 'Peaceland is a neutral country, its economy is based on profits from it's amusement parks and casinos. Ruled by the great-grandson, Fredrick Notsumote III, of the original owner. Has the Peace Bank, the most discreet banking system on Earth. Yeah, yeah, I know that already, but-'

"What do they want to speak to me about?" asked Ruri. "I don't have an account in the Peace bank." Before they could answer her question, however, the vessel had landed and its main door opened.

A very regal looking man stepped out, a long blue cloak draped over his shoulders and touching the floor, and with a large hat that reminded Omoikane of the villain from a very old movie by a company called Disney, "Peter Pan". The man looked to be scowling, but some amount of joy sparkled in his eyes. He stepped forward until he was standing before Ruri, the same look on his face. To everyone's surprise, he took of his floppy hat and bowed, perched on one knee. Ruri's expression faltered only the very slightest as the man introduced he. "I am Sir Alfred Le Oeuvre, guardian to the children of the Royal family, kin of his highness King Fredrick the Third, and her highness Queen Gwynth." He continued face the floor even as he said the words that made Mr. Prospector and Yurika jump ten feet into the air. "At last, you have been found, Princess Ruri."

~*~

"Our king and queen had wished for an heir for years, but they had no luck with such a desire. They, instead, made a deposit at a famous fertility clinic. However, not just a few weeks later, they received word that the clinic had been blown up by a band of terrorists, the vial containing your Highness lost among the debris. We've been searching for you ever since." Alfred told the story briefly, as if he left out some of the heartbreaking details. Omoikane noticed this, and, felt very curious as to what those details were.

Ruri was unphased. "I was raised as an orphan. Are you certain that I am the person you are looking for?" Alfred pounded a fist on the table between them, where the printouts of her records lay. "There is no doubt! The king and queen have produced other heirs, but you are still Peaceland's princess and first heir!"

Omoikane watched Ruri's eyes go from golden to light brown. He had discovered long ago that that meant she wasn't focused on the matter at hand. It didn't happen often, but he realized she had a lot to think about.

Whispering, "The king and queen… they're my… parents," Ruri pictured them from long ago, cheering her for doing something right. "…It can't be."

~*~

Alfred opened the door and bowed, allowing Ruri to go first. Ruri, making sure she would get used to this, started to step onto the vessel, lifting her pink skirts. "Wait! I'm coming too!" yelled Omoikane. The old man and the girl turned to see the robot running towards them. Ruri glared slightly in the direction of him. "Omoikane, I order you to stay onboard the Nadesico. You are my backup, and they need you to back me up now."

Omoikane, a little unnerved at Ruri's glare, explained, "Kanchou decided for us to take a break and follow the vessel to Peaceland! I want to come with you Ruri-sama!" Ruri was not very surprised. It was just like the Captain to make such strange orders. "Miss Won will be upset," she whispered as she sat down.

Alfred looked at the robot as he climbed aboard. He set the vessel to take off. "Your Highness, who is this boy?" Omoikane answered first. "I'm Ruri-sama's assistant!"

Ruri made no expression as she simply stated, "My best friend."

Alfred smiling slightly at the boy that now was sitting behind him. "You don't seem the type to make friends easily, your Highness." Ruri said nothing.

~*~

Ruri was slowly getting used to all the respect Alfred seemed to be able to pay to everyone. That is, everyone in her new family. Alfred bowed before King Fredrick when the three of them reached the throne room. "She has arrived," was all that he announced. Ruri stood, emotionless, while Omoikane was basically rewriting his records on Peaceland. She would later find that this would include a complete map of the castle. However, Ruri wasn't emotionless long.

A huge grin broke out on Fredrick's face. "At last we have found you! How we have waited for this day!" One of Ruri's silver eyebrows twitched. "Otosan?"

Fredrick heard the title, and disregarded the fact she didn't give him proper respect. After all, she would get used to their ways eventually. "That's right! I'm your father, Ruri-chan, and this is your mother!" He pointed to the silver-haired, pale woman seated beside him. Queen Gwynth was a complete opposite of Fredrick. He was dark haired, tan, and burly, while she was delicate and slightly secretive.

She smiled at her daughter. "Oh, Ruri-chan, you've grown up so beautifully. We look forward to you taking your oldest younger brother's place in the hierarchy." Ruri was suddenly surprised. Only slightly though. 'They want me to be their princess… I don't even know if I want to be a princess.'

On Gwynth's left, one boy with silver hair and big blue eyes stood and bowed. He said nothing, but his large smile told his emotions clearly. 'I knew if we found her, she'd take my place. Now I can be just that much more of a normal kid.' As he sat back down, the line of boys at Fredrick's right stood and bowed. Most of them were just welcoming, but there was the boy seated closest to his father. While the older, silver haired boy's eyes spoke volumes of welcome and happiness, this blonde boy's baby blues screamed in anger, as if he wished Ruri didn't even exist.

Fredrick got up from his throne and ran down to where Ruri stood, his robe billowing behind him. He knelt before her and took her hands, looking so genuinely happy, Ruri thought he might burst. "At last we are all together, and you can be heir to our wonderful kingdom!" He lowered his voice to a whisper, as if telling her a secret, "You don't have to, if you so desire."

Ruri nodded to this statement. "May I have some time to think, Otosan?" Fredrick stood up at once. "Certainly, my child! Ariko-chan!" He called. The silver haired boy seated next to his mother stood at attention. "Take Ruri-chan to the room that will be hers," he gave Ruri a knowing glance, "if she wishes it to be."

~*~

It wasn't long before Notsumote Ariko, First Prince of the Kingdom of Peaceland, got annoyed with his older sister's companion's ogling. The brown haired boy looked at everything for at least ten seconds, which slowed their journey from the throne room to Ruri's room greatly. While Ariko was getting extremely bothered at this display, Ruri seemed to not mind it at all, deciphering the answers to any of his questions and defining anything of interest to him patiently. Ariko growled a bit under his breath. "Oneesama," began he, "will your companion please cease staring at our furnishings so that we may reach your room at a faster pace?"

Amber met sapphire as Ruri began to explain why Omoikane was the way he was. "Omoikane-chan is a robot. He cannot help his own actions. He is simply collecting data on the house and the things within it. However, if this disturbs you… Omoikane, please tone it down a bit. We really must hasten our pace." Omoikane stood straight, turning away from an antique urn on a table, and saluted. "Hai, Ruri-sama!"

Ariko's jaw dropped. "A robot? A real robot!? Oneesama, where did you get him? Why does he listen to you? What kinds of things can he do?" Ruri chose to answer the last question. "Just normal hacking. If he made him too powerful, he'd almost be a tiny Aestivalis."

Omoikane smiled broadly. "I can break into the Peace Bank if I wanted!" However, the prince wasn't amazed. "You mean, he doesn't zap people or shoot things?"

The corners of the princess's mouth turned down. "Omoikane was very expensive to build, Ariko-san. His creator made him as much as a real person as possible, and he can do things that I am not capable of."

Ariko opened at door to their right. This room seemed way to big at first, but it's mostly because it is quite empty. With light pink wallpaper and lavender carpet, the room contained a cast iron canopy bed with pink and purple sheets, a white dresser, end tables, with lavender trim, and little pink candles around the room. The room seemed to be more for a little girl that played with Barbie dolls than the thirteen-year-old computer operator on the most powerful battleship in the Earth alliance.

Ariko spoke, monotone, as Ruri and Omoikane surveyed the room. "I, along with the rest of the Notsumote family, will enjoy your stay here, Oneesama, until you make your decision. There will be a dinner tonight in your honor, and we have already invited your crew." Ruri nodded.

Ariko bowed once again. "Make-" he was cut off by Omoikane. "Yourself at home!" cried the cyborg, smiling broadly. Ariko glared at the robot. "Will you-" "Stop that this instant!" Omoikane was enjoying himself. Ariko scowled at Omoikane as he left the room. Omoikane turned to his controller. "Ruri-sama, what are you going to do?"

Ruri shook her head. "I don't know. What I do know is… this isn't the place." Omoikane nodded. "You need more time, of course, to decide. It's a big decision. Would you like to go shopping for everyone, so we can be productive while you think?"

The princess stood from her perch on the bed and leaves the room. Omoikane read this response as an affirmative and followed her.

~*~

(Jun Interlude)

Jun tapped a yawning Ryoko on the shoulder. "Excuse me, Subaru-san, but have you seen Yuri- I mean, Kanchou?" The green haired pilot shook her head. "It's obvious where she is though, doncha think, Junny?" She walked away. The executive officer's blue eyes got a little wet. 'Yeah, I know where she is. Chasing Akito, that's where.'

But just as soon as this thought passed through his mind, his blue haired goddess ran up to him. "Jun! You gotta help me find Akito! This is the most perfect time for us to go on a date, and I don't want to miss this chance!"

"Uh, no, Kanchou, I was just going to go, um, eat or something…" Yurika grabbed his arm and started dragging him away. "Thank you so much, Jun! You're such a nice guy and all, helping me go looking for my true love! Oh, he might be near those trees in the courtyard of this area!" She let go of his arm to start searching for her childhood friend.

While she was investigating the pavilion, Jun's heart sunk lower and lower, as if the Earth itself was pulling the organ towards its center. 'It's always him... and he's gay right now, but Yurika's still chasing him... doesn't the fact that we were engaged mean anything to her?! I suppose not. I mean, everyone is saying Yurika and him make a good couple... Uribatake-san told me to look for other girls, but I just can't. Yurika is the only one I'll ever love, and she doesn't even notice me.'

Yurika, emerging from a fast food restaurant, walked over to where Jun stood. "He isn't there either... Hey, Jun, are you okay? Is something wrong?"

Jun looked up abruptly, looking quiet surprised. 'She actually asked if there was something wrong…' He shook his head and pointed in the direction of a gift shop. "Did you check in that store? It seems unfamiliar." Yurika followed his gaze, and, realizing he was right, ran in to go check.

Jun sighed. 'No. I'm just her 'best friend.' Nothing more. At least, not to her.'

~*~

(Hikaru and Izumi Interlude)

Plopping down in a booth, Hikaru let out a deep breath. Izumi sat down across from her reluctantly, as if she didn't want to be there. They had just ordered food, and it would be a few minutes before they finished it. Izumi glanced at the hyper pilot. "Hikaru-chan… why don't you go to the hangar to hang out anymore?"

The redhead looked up. "You noticed?" Hikaru pulled a white napkin from the dispenser on the table and began to fiddle with it. After a moment of silence, Hikaru took a ragged breath and said simply, "Uri-P asked me out." Izumi nodded and closed her crimson eyes. "So you told him to get lost. For someone who's lonely all the time, that wasn't very smart."

Hikaru looked down. "I told him... I left Shirono." Izumi seemed baffled. "Not again. Hikaru-chan, you need to stop it. Lying to yourself isn't going to dull the pain any better. Trust me. I do it for a living."

Hikaru shot her a doubtful look. "Now that I think of it, you haven't been making as many puns as usual... why?"

A sincere smile played the taller pilot's lips. "I've discovered another part of myself... Fressange-san helped me discover that." Hikaru blinked.

"Whoa... so you're bi now?" Izumi chuckled. "I knew you'd pick up on that... and I also knew you wouldn't really give a damn." She took a long drink from her cup.

The artist's red eyebrows gathered, but she nodded anyway. "You, though? Never would have thought. So, what? Third time's a charmed, and you've been sleeping with Fressange-san?"

Izumi choked on her drink, the carbonation making her sneeze. "Where did that come from?" Hikaru gave her a look that screamed, 'I'm not stupid.' "'Fressange-san helped me discover that'? Do you really take me for a fool? I mean, god damn, Izumi-chan, I may play the part of the happy baka otaku, but I'm a lot deeper than that." She took a drink.

Izumi reached across the table and petted Hikaru's red waves. "I know Hikaru-chan. Men have hurt us both, wounded us dearly. We're both much deeper than we appear. But we have to be true to ourselves. Kanchou has taught me that too, and I'm sure as hell not fucking her." Hikaru giggled.

~*~

(Back to our regularly scheduled Ruri Interlude)

Fredrick glanced at his only daughter. Ruri was stirring her soup, not really paying attention to anything. He cleared his throat, grabbing Ruri's attention. "Are you ready to announce your choice, my dear?" Ruri took a deep breath, and nodded.

Fredrick tapped his glass, requesting quiet, after a minute or so, he finally had the silence he needed. He gestured for Ruri to take the stage. Ruri nodded again, and stood up.

"I, Hoshino Ruri, decline from being Princess of Peaceland. My place is on the Nadesico."

Gwynth stood up instantly. "Ruri-chan! You have no choice in this matter! It is your duty to take control of this country when your father and I are gone! You must begin training for this immediately!"

Yurika stood up too. "If Ruri-chan wants to stay on the Nadesico, where she's needed, then you should let her! Not make her stay here, where she's convenient to have! We need and want her!"

Megumi was next. "Ruri-chan holds us all together!"

The next words of advice seemed to all run together, with some snickering, stomping of feet, and continuous nodding threaded through them.

"She is the brick in the pool of gelatin." "That's right! Most of us here are crazy..." "...But Ruri-chan keeps us all in line by being the most stable." "Ruri needs to be on the Nadesico." "Without her, there will be no order." "Total chaos. Absolute total insanity." "Ruri is the smartest of us all, she is the driving force of the Nadesico. The Nadesico will go to pieces if you take her computer operator away!" "We all love and adore Ruri and won't let you take her from us!" "Ruri-sama is mine!!!"

Fredrick clapped his hands together, wanting quiet again so he could speak over the screaming crewmembers. They all say down, looking a bit embarrassed for blowing up at the Queen. "We acknowledge your decision Ruri-chan, and respect it. You may go back to the Nadesico as you wish."

~*~

Alfred bowed to Ruri, a little more informal by request. "Should you ever change your mind, I will be happy to serve you." Ruri nods, and spread her arms, welcoming a hug. It was given briefly; Alfred didn't want to get into this habit.

Ariko, ringing his hands, approached Ruri. "Um... do you have anything pressing you right now?"

"No." Ariko glomped Ruri's arm. "Oh please please please, Oneesama! Give me a tour around the most powerful, beautiful ship in all of the Earth alliance!" Ruri looked up at the Captain standing next to her, her amber eyes asking it if is all right.

Yurika smiled at the two silver haired royals. "Of course, it's perfectly fine!"

~*~

The three children, Ruri, Omoikane, and Ariko got into the hangar bay before the ship started to take off, surprising them with the shock of the inertia. Ruri opened a window to the bridge. Megumi's face appeared instead of the captain's. "Ruri-chan! We need you down here. We're to answer an SOS from the Lunar Theatre ASAP." Another window popped up, this one showing the captain. "Ariko-sama, would it be all right if you're away from your family for a while?"

The silver haired boy nearly leapt with joy. "Be all right? I'll be great! This has been my dream! I get to see a space battle!"

Omoikane faced the ecstatic prince. "It's not as great as you think." He helped the running Ruri out by taking up some of the duties. He set the controls to the coordinates to the orbit of the moon called Luna.

TBC…

~*~

A/N: Not as long as the other one, and even though I did cut out the La Homaro Instituto scenes, they did take place, okay? So, how did you like this interpretation? You may have noticed I'm tying in manga concepts and adding my own twist, but that's okay, right? Anyways… Is blondie up to something? What will Ariko do away from home, and why is he so happy to be away? What's this we hear about Izumi? And how many of us are worried about Ryoko? And all the other various things, like why does Hikaru hate confrontations, and what's up with Akito lately? These questions will be answered eventually, but not now. In the next chapter, keep an eye out for love in the form of music as Ryoko picks up on an old talent she thought she lost! By the way, you will most likely need the playlist in the next chapter, so keep that in mind, you music downloading addicts! As always, review me pweasies! ^^V


	12. Music shows the past and present...

A/N: Glad you liked the last chapter! ^^ Anyway, I promise this one will be longer, because, well, it's taking the term songfic and going a bit too far. @_@ And things may get a bit confusing… yeah. Okay, there IS a disclaimer this time. A definite disclaimer. First of all, I have never played piano in my life, nor have I taken any lessons. Any misgivings about stuff are my fault, gomen in advance. "Deliver Me" is property of Sarah Brightman, "All you Wanted" is Michelle Branch's, Camui Gackt did "Regret", and "Orurean no Seisenshi" is from the 5th Sera Myu Musical. The playlist itself: "Deliver Me", "All you Wanted", "Delicious Island", "Orurean no Seisenshi", "Watashi Rashiku" by Houko Kuwashima, "Anata no Ichiban Ni Naritai" by Omi Minami, and "Regret". This takes place in Episode 19 (of course). If I were you, I'd keep my eye out for some not-so-subtle foreshadowing. Oh, and I translated "Orurean no Seisenshi", "Watashi Rashiku", and "Anata no Ichiban Ni Naritai", so don't freak if it's all wrong. On to the fic!

~*~

(Ariko and Uribatake Interlude)

'Okasama would be upset if she saw me now, but that's not my problem now. I'll think about that later.' Prince Ariko laid a gentle hand upon the smooth steel that made the beautiful creature before him. 'An Aestivalis. I've seen them on television, but never this close. And the news just doesn't do it justice.'

Ariko knew these were truly his thoughts, and not those of his usual weariness. 'I'm usually tired during tutoring, but… I'm completely alert now. Was it the change in sleeping conditions?' Ariko slept on a cot in Ruri's room the night before, wearing a Nergal off-duty shirt and an apology from the captain. '"I'm sorry, your highness, for the living conditions, but we really didn't expect to take you with us," says she. Frankly, I don't care. That was the best sleep I had gotten all my life. It makes me wish I was born into another family just that much more.'

A clang of metal hitting metal stole Ariko's thoughts, scaring him and making his hand jerk away violently from the machine he was admiring. "Ano… who's there?"

Uribatake suddenly noticed the prince standing by the extra black Aesti. "Your Highness, what're you doing down here? Aren't you supposed to be in the cafeteria or on the bridge or something?" Ariko nodded slowly. "Yes, but…" He turned his attention towards the Aestivalis again. "I couldn't resist coming and looking at these elegant machines."

Uribatake noticed a small smile on the child's lips. 'I don't know how I do it, but I somehow get attached to the children here. Ruri is like my daughter, Omoikane thinks me as his father, and now the first prince of Peaceland is opening his heart to me. Maybe I'm just the overall trustworthy father figure.' Images of Hikaru's rejection flooded his mind. 'But if that's the case… Hikaru doesn't trust me. I wonder why. But somehow… I think she lied to me.' He shook his head, focusing on the matter at hand. "They really are lovely, aren't they?"

Ariko didn't expect something to cut the silence, so he was slightly startled. "Huh? Oh, yeah. The Aestis." He blushed suddenly. "I mean, Aestivalises!" Uribatake gave him a funny look. "You can call them Aestis if you want. We all do. What's the problem?"

Ariko shook his head, his silver strands of hair flapping his forehead and ears. "No… Okasama tells us all to use the proper word and name for things. So… I guess I was expecting to be scolded." Uribatake shook his head. "Here, we see giving things nicknames as a sign of endearment. Or, that you like the thing very much." Uribatake looked down at the small boy. "How old are you, Your Highness?"

Ariko looked up. "Please, just call me Ariko. I'm eleven, Uribatake-san." The head mechanic seemed to be deep in thought. "Well then…" Dark brown eyes met blue. "I was a bit younger than you when I got involved with machines. However, it's obvious you share that love, don't you?" Ariko's silver head bobbed up and down. Uribatake knelt down so he could see him face to face.

"This will probably piss off your mother, but she's not exactly here right now, is she?" Ariko shook his head, slowly catching on to what the man was saying. "You want to start working here in the hangar? I'll teach you everything you'll want to know." Ariko's eyes got big and his jaw dropped.

"You'll really let me? Oh, could I, Uribatake-san? Could I?" Ariko looked like he was going to burst with happiness.

Uribatake snickered at Ariko's delight. "Sure! We'd have to figure out the payment and get you a uniform, but I'm sure Prospector wouldn't mind setting it all up. Besides, you seem like you'd listen a lot better than these idiots around here."

Ariko wrapped his arms around Uribatake's neck. "Oh thank you thank you thank you, Uribatake-san! You won't regret this! I'll be a good student!" Uribatake laughed. "Settle, will ya? Jeez. If I was your dad, I'd probably be relieved to have you gone, if you act like this all the time!" Ariko blushed and whispered, "I do not," but the smile stayed on his face.

It stayed there all day. By the time the sun set, he had his own set of uniforms and his own room.

~*~

Each of the Three Angels had a different bedtime procedure. Hikaru would clear off her bed before all else. Izumi would go take a shower, changing into her pajamas. Ryoko just stripped down to her underwear. Hikaru would change, then plug in some headphones. Ryoko would probably be asleep by now. Izumi would finally get into bed. Hikaru fell asleep listening to one of her weird mixes of Japanese music, Celtic music, old English hits, and random Classical and Techno pieces. This is all that Ryoko caught, while she floated downward to deep sleep, unable to wake.

Ryoko dreamed. She dreamed most nights, but recently, her dreams weren't as strange. They were just replays of pieces of her memory. She looked down. Sure enough, she was much shorter, and wearing a dark blue dress. 'I haven't worn dresses since I was five.' That was when Ryoko was on Earth with her father. It was the first time she had been on the planet. 'Before Mom died.'

The blackness around her bent, giving way to the surroundings of her memory. She was sitting on her dad's shoulders, near an airplane hangar. It was nearly night. That much she remembered, because she- "There's the first star! Look, Dad!"

'Yeah, it's playing pretty much like clockwork. This is exactly how it happened. My subconscious is either losing it's imagination, or this is supposed to mean something.' "That's good, Ryoko!" praised her father. "Now look for that special star inside you."

"The what?" Little Ryoko was confused. 'The special star… After all this time… 15 years later, I still haven't found it.'

"Your special star is a talent, something your best at. A girl who knows what her special star is will have a life full of happiness!" 'Well, that explains a lot. I certainly don't have a life full of happiness.'

"What's my star? What is it, Dad?" 'Don't hold your breath, Ryoko-chan. You won't know for quite some time. Hell, we still don't know.' The surroundings bent again, leaving Ryoko in nothing but darkness.

Ryoko's blue eyes opened, and saw nothing but darkness. She sat up. She had been sleeping for a few hours, as Hikaru and Izumi seemed to be knocked out. A pale leg shot out of Izumi's bunk. 'Well, okay, not knocked out, but definitely asleep.' Ryoko laid back down, whispering, "Stupid memories."

Hikaru heard this. 'Another nightmare… I guess she gets to sleep in again. Not that it's a bad thing. But I'm getting worried. She never used to have nightmares like this. Maybe Itsuki's bringing up some bad thoughts. And I don't mean naughty one's either.' Hikaru laid her head back on her pillow and covered her eyes with an arm. 'We'll just talk to her tomorrow. I probably just worry too much.'

~*~

Perhaps Hikaru did worry too much. Perhaps it wasn't the best choice to lose sleep because of Ryoko's memory dreams. Perhaps she should have just done what Gai always did when Akito had dreams like these, and just let it be. But, of course, she did exactly the opposite. So, when she walked by herself to the cafeteria, wondering if she was just going to fall asleep while walking, it wasn't too much of a surprise that she thought she was hallucinating.

After all, a girl doesn't always get to see her two best male friends making out, about to throw each other on the table and fuck like rabbits so early in the morning.

Hikaru simply blinked, rubbed her eyes, then slowly walked towards the table. Making sure they didn't notice her until she wanted them to, she slipped into her chair next to Gai. She took a deep quiet breath. Then cleared her throat.

Akito and Gai sprang apart like a released spring, fixing their clothes and trying to look normal. As they realized they'd been had, that Hikaru had seen everything, Gai cleared his own throat. Akito just tried to hide his very, very red face. Hikaru, as sleepy as she was, burst out laughing. "You two really know how to make a girl lonely!" said she, through her giggles.

Gai registered the sentence faster than Hikaru realized she said it. "You? Lonely? How come?" Gai wrapped an arm around her shoulders, giving her a little hug. Hikaru noticed the comforting movement, and her attention went straight the Martian. 'Wow, Akito doesn't look peeved. Just concerned about me…'

"Oh, it's nothing." Hikaru returned Gai's embrace. "I just now realized I have two very good friends, guy friends no less, that won't drop me once they get to know me." She smiled. The two other pilots had no freaking idea what she was talking about. Before they could question her, though, she had an interrogation of her own. "Akito-chan, the hell are you doing out here anyway? Aren't you supposed to be cooking or something right now?"

"We're trading off breakfast and lunch," came a voice from the kitchen. A red eyebrow shot up. "Sayuri-san?"

Sure enough, there was the blue-haired cook futzing around in the kitchen. "Yep. Least he can do, to making me cry." Hikaru glared at the Martian cook. "You made her cry, Akito???"

Akito's jaw had gone slack. "No, I didn't Sayuri! You started whining that you liked me and I didn't pick you! I switched to shut you up!"

The singsong reply, "I know~!" The two other pilots laughed as Akito's face turned from red to purple with frustration.

At about this time, one of the metal doors slid open and Izumi fell square on her ass through it. "Itai! Dammit, Ryoko!"

Hikaru swiveled completely on the bench. "Ryoko, the hell are you doing out of bed? We let you sleep in for a reason, you know!"

From what Gai could process from the situation, Ryoko was supposed to be sleeping, and Izumi found her going to the cafeteria. Izumi tried to push her back, but Ryoko apparently pushed her the whole way there. Hikaru was angry because of this, and Akito was very confused. 'Hey, I am too, so it's not too bad.'

The redhead jumped up from the bench and ran over to Izumi, lifting her up. "I don't need help, Hikaru-chan!" But Izumi let her pull her up anyway. Ryoko walked over to their table and sat in her spot, across from Hikaru's.

When the other two Angels sat in their respective spots, Hikaru glared at the green haired pilot. "You're supposed to be in top condition for piloting, Ryoko-chan. When you wake up in the middle of the night with nightmares, that's not top condition!"

The tomboy glared at the otaku. "What concern is it of yours anyway, Hikaru?" Izumi answered for her. "It's been her concern for years, Ryoko. That's not very fair to her, don't you think? Just because you're grouchy-"

Ryoko swiveled to face the quiet pilot. "I am not grouchy!" she yelled. A moment of silence passed before she faced Hikaru again. "Okay, so maybe I am grouchy… I'm sorry, Hikaru-chan." Hikaru nodded. "That's why we let you sleep, Ryoko-chan."

Ryoko sighed and rubbed her eyes. "I know… I've just had a lot to think about for the past couple weeks…"

It seemed almost appropriate for one of those things to walk through the door just then, brushing her purple hair as usual. Itsuki looked at their table, a little surprised to actually see Ryoko there, then walked over and plopped between Izumi and Ryoko. "Ohayo, Jiro, Tenkawa-san, Hikaru-chan, Izumi-san." She paused, then made her tone a bit colder. "Subaru-san."

Ryoko caught the difference, and felt quite uncomfortable. She faced forward, and noticed Hikaru squinting at something past her head. "What?"

Hikaru didn't hear her. "What IS that?" She got up and walked to the wall. Unnoticed by everyone else, there was a poster of a brown haired girl in a very pretty dress. Hikaru blinked, then tried to read the kana aloud. "First Star Beauty Pageant… Swimsuit and Talent Competition…" Her eyes brightened. "Winner gets an idol singing contract!?!" Izumi and Itsuki walked calmly over. "Entries must be submitted to Victor Bros by midnight, February 16th. Holy shit, that's tonight!" The other two girl pilots nodded. They hadn't seemed to realize that Ryoko, as soon as she heard the word "talent", left the cafeteria, but the two men seemed to.

"…Hey, Hikaru?" Hikaru turned her attention from the poster to Gai. "Ah?" "…How come Ryoko left when you started reading that?"

Hikaru was at a blank at first. "What… I don't know." Izumi nodded a bit. "People can be taught many things, but only if they find their desires caught." Nobody understood this, of course, and the quiet pilot refused to explain.

~*~

(Hikaru and Izumi Interlude)

Shortly after everyone got settled at his or her stations, Yurika made an announcement about the pageant. "For all those superstars that want to be idol singers, or an space cadets that want to try their hand at being Captain for the day, enter the First Star Beauty Pageant now!"

Hikaru went to her room and started searching through her CDs. "Hayashibara Megumi? No. Ai Orikasa? No. Masami Okui-" A voice cut through her rambling. "You sing Mask and I'm going to kill you." The redhead turned a bit. "Why, is that what you're going to do, Izumi?"

The blue-haired pilot shook her head. "I already know what I'm singing." Izumi opened the closet and pulled out a somewhat old guitar. Hikaru was impressed. "Wow, you're not going to play ukulele?"

Izumi shook her head. "My song requires guitar." Slender pale fingers caressed the neck of the blue instrument till it reached the headstock. She turned the tuning pegs, while softly humming an old American song that Hikaru recognized. "You're gonna sing that?"

Crimson embraced brown. "There's a problem?" Hikaru shook her head. "No, of course not, but… you have a reason, I know it!"

Izumi smiled slightly. She set the guitar down on her bed, then walked over to the full body mirror. "Yes, there is. You have a very keen sense of comprehension." Izumi pulled on a blue strand in the bangs covering her right eye. "Very keen."

Hikaru walked over, wrapping her arms around the much taller pilot's waist. "And I suppose the song isn't about me at all." Izumi's pale hand lowered and squeezed the redhead's arm. "Gomen, Hikaru-chan." Hikaru sighed and released Izumi.

"It's a shame… I guess I'm just going to have to find a song that will… portray my own emotions clearly." Izumi glanced at Hikaru. "Me? Or… Uribatake-san?"

Hikaru shrugged. "Either or. Something I can put my whole heart into." Izumi grunted. "So, even though you turned Uribatake down, you still like him." Hikaru glared at the older pilot. "Yes, but he's married. And he'd just crush me." Hikaru climbed up the ladder to her bed. "They all do."

Izumi opened Hikaru's CD case and started looking for a certain one. Pulling it out, she tossed it up, the redhead catching it with expertise. "Number 6, Hikaru. He might crush you, but hey. He made a better effort to understand you then those other guys did."

Hikaru looked at the CD. "What makes you thinks so, Izumi-chan?" The red-eyed pilot sat back on her own bed and pulled her guitar back into her lap before responding. "You reject him, and he doesn't run back, asking for forgiveness. He knows you wouldn't appreciate that. And I think he knows you lied to him, too. He let you have your space, let you think. Any of those other assholes never would have done that."

Hikaru considered this as she plugged in the disc, sticking her headphones on her head, and attempted to remember the lyrics to the song Izumi chose for her. 'She's right, I guess. Any of the other guys would have come running back after I said no. And… this song is perfect.' "Arigato, Izumi-chan," said Hikaru, a little more loudly than should have been.

The taller pilot simply smiled, and continued tuning her instrument, humming her song of choice.

~*~

Itsuki didn't realize Ryoko had a problem until lunch. They sat all in their usual places, with an empty seat where Akito usually sat. Hikaru had turned in her entry right before lunch, as did Izumi, however, Hikaru was the excited one about it. "What're you gonna do for the talent competition, Ryoko? I'm gonna sing a song!"

Ryoko paused from eating her rice to answer, monotone, "I'm not entering." Gai's eyebrows furrowed together. "Why not?" Ryoko took another bite. "I don't want to."

Izumi was going to interject her opinion, but Itsuki got to it first. "Why don't you want to, Subaru-san?" Itsuki wiped her mouth, then continued. "It can't be about the swimsuit portion, you'd easily win that." Ryoko's emotionless face went red and looked very uncomfortable. But Itsuki continued. "It isn't talent, because I'm sure you have a very long list of things you could do." Ryoko's blue eyes hit the ground. Hikaru and Izumi were feeling a bit… out of place, and they glanced at the male in their group. He cleared his throat and got up. The two girls nodded and followed his example, the three of them leaving without much purpose. Before Ryoko knew it, she was left all alone with the girl that had admitted to flirting with her, and she was harrying her about her nonparticipation in the pageant.

"…Don't you have a talent to do at the contest?" inquired the purple-haired pilot, thinking, maybe, she hit the nail on the head. Ryoko glared at the other pilot. "What's it to you?" Itsuki blinked. "Subaru-san, I'm trying. Is that so hard to understand?" She lifted Ryoko's hand, studying it hard with her dark brown eyes. "Lovely long fingers. Graceful and agile. A bit callused, but that just means they're more experienced. Tell me, Ryoko. Have you ever played piano?"

Ryoko didn't know how to answer. 'Well, yes, I did… but that was a long time ago. A very long time ago. How would she know that?' Itsuki didn't know whether Ryoko's silence was a negative or an affirmative, but she dragged Ryoko out of the cafeteria anyway, pulling her towards her dorm room.

The metal door slid open, and Ryoko's blue eyes widened at how many different musical things there were. There was a violin case, an old 20th century record player, a keyboard, and different little instruments that seemed to be only picked up as collector's items displayed around the room. For the first time in a while, Ryoko spoke, "Are you obsessed with music or something?"

Itsuki laughed a bit. "You could say that. I started learning sheet music and violin when I was eight. I just fell in love with it, and have been addicted ever since." She walked over to the keyboard and switched it on. "Let's just leave it grand for now… that's what it was, apparently, when I was playing with it last. There we go!" The keyboard beeped, startling Ryoko a bit. The purple haired pilot looked at her. "You never answered me, did you ever play piano before?"

Ryoko looked at the ground. "…I did… a long time ago. When I was five. I dropped it when my mom died though." Itsuki nodded.

"A shame. Yes, I did know that you played. I just wanted to know how skilled you were before you actually sat down to anything." Itsuki realized that Ryoko was still standing outside. "You can come in, Subaru-san."

Ryoko stepped into the room, the door sliding shut behind her. 'Trapping me.' She shook her head, and her next thought popped out of her mouth before she could stop it. "I bet you don't call me Ryoko because you think I hate you, right?"

Itsuki didn't even blink. "You've obviously been talking to Jiro no baka." She sighed. "Well, in a way." She just left it at that. Ryoko wouldn't let the subject fall again. She had been meaning to talk to the flirtatious pilot for weeks now, and this was the perfect time. "Well, I don't, ok? You just freaked me out, with the flirting and all."

"I only 'freaked you out'? Freaking you out is what made you scream at me and tell me to leave you the fuck alone?" Ryoko was started to regret not dropping the subject when Itsuki did. "Look, Ryoko. You must not be used to the idea of a girl trying to win your affections. God knows I haven't gotten it in a while! But, goddammit, I just found you at a random search! You picture intrigued me, your records astounded me, and, hell, your past made me fall in love, okay? Excuse me for caring Ryoko!" With the last sentence said, Itsuki turned away from the green-haired pilot. 'I think I'm going to be sick.'

Ryoko did the only thing she could think of. Her shaky hand grasped Itsuki's shoulder, and caressed it a bit. 'I have no idea what I'm doing.' Itsuki turned a bit, and saw the apology floating in Ryoko's water-blue eyes. Itsuki smiled, a real smile. A thought streaked through Ryoko's brain, and she just couldn't pin it down fast enough. 'Another real smile… She's actually pretty attractive when she does that- SHIT! Did I just think that?'

Itsuki patted Ryoko's cheek, as if she could read her mind. 'Yes, you did.' She pointed toward the bench in front of the keyboard. The two girls slowly approached it and sat down. Itsuki cleared her throat.

"Okay, you must have forgotten a lot of things in all this time, since you did say you haven't played in fifteen years, so we'll start with something easy-" Before Itsuki could start demonstrating where one's fingers should be, Ryoko's right hand drifted up, three of her callused fingers hitting the keys, giving a light tone. Itsuki's purple eyebrows knit as Ryoko closed her eyes, her right hand seeming to embrace the keys, continuing the little melody that seemed so natural. 'Natural… because I wrote it.' She continued, her left hand positioning itself at the other end of the piano. Itsuki stood, giving Ryoko all the elbowroom she would need. 'It sounds almost like a nursery rhyme rhythm… but much deeper and with more meaning.'

Ryoko finally lost all touch with herself, surrendering to the instrument, giving it the melody in her head, the song that had been hiding within her for years. Itsuki watched in awe. 'She knows something this complex… she knew it when she was only five? She's like a prodigy… that just gave up. How sad… or maybe only her tone is making me sad.'

Ryoko slowed down the song, coming to its end. 'I wrote that so long ago… When I was becoming a tomboy. And my dad started to hate me… I don't think I've actually played it for someone.' Ryoko's eyes opened, but stayed focused on the keys. 'And I just… did it.' She turned around and looked for a reaction from the other girl.

Itsuki's jaw was slack, as if she didn't expect that little outburst of creativity. Her eyes told all of her emotions, loving envy, friendly happiness. Itsuki blinked a bit, trying to get any tears out of her eyes before speaking. "Ryoko… have you been hiding that talent all this time? Where did you learn to play like that? I have never, in all my days, heard that piece played… let alone so beautifully." She smiled very slightly, as if in total and complete awe, or absolute ecstasy.

"…My mother taught me how to play. And… you never heard that piece before because… I wrote it." Itsuki's eyes got bigger. "You wrote… that… when you were five!?!" 'She really is a prodigy… at least, at portraying her feelings with music.'

Ryoko nodded. Itsuki's smile grew. The purple-haired pilot walked over to her closet, and pulled out a plastic covered blue dress. "Subaru Ryoko, I'm going to enter you into the contest. You have no excuse. You may actually win."

~*~

(Jun and Omoikane Interlude)

"'Oh, Jun-kun, please! I need to enter the contest to prove to everyone that I can be a good attractive captain, and I need a song to sing!' And of course, me, the pushover, agrees to write the damn thing…" Jun seemed to be slaving over an old piece of music, writing lyrics to go with the seemingly antique music style. "Then I try to make myself write the thing so it fits her, oh my GOD, what was I thinking…"

Beep. Pause. Beep beep beep. Jun glanced over at Ruri's console as she watched the computer's window reveal typed kana a bit slower than if it was something already written. 'So… Omoikane's writing a song for Ruri too. And people say unconditional love is dead.' Jun turned back to the writing before him. 'Be myself and… WHAT?'

Ruri had heard Jun complaining about writing a song for Yurika, so of course Omoikane heard. Ruri sighed in anguish and Omoikane entered her and started writing a song for her to sing. She had to smile a bit at the computer though. He really wanted her to win, more than she even wanted to try, so she couldn't help observing this insanity.

Omoikane, though, was writing his own emotions, instead of a song that worked with how Ruri thought. 'Maybe when she sings it, she'll see the other meaning in it!' Ruri heard this thought though. 'Omoikane-chan thinks he's in love with me. That is obvious.'

"Idiots."

~*~

(Hikaru and Uribatake Interlude)

Hikaru smoothed out her long black skirt, smiling at how it contrasted with her pale yellow shirt. 'It may not be my best dress, but it fits my song. At least… I think it does, and that's what matters.' She ran a hand through her layered red hair once more before glancing at the stage manger, who was just one of the mechanics. He gave her a thumbs-up, signaling that, as Prospector was talking, as soon as he finished she could walk out to the opening notes to her song.

"Welcome to the First Star Beauty Pageant and our search for our Captain of Tomorrow! We'll start the contest with our very own, Amano Hikaru, singing… 'Deliver Me' by Sarah Brightman!" announced Prospector. 'My cue.'

The first deep notes began to play, and Hikaru took slow steps towards the mike from backstage, the silver bracelets of her bare ankles tinkling. She stood in front of the microphone, her head bent as the opening notes ended and the moment for her to sing approached. Her head lifted elegantly, the lights brining out the different colors in her hair as she began to finally sing.

"Deliver me… Out of my Sadness." The very first line caught Uribatake's attention. "Deliver me… From all of the Madness." 'Holy shit… This isn't just a favorite song pick, this has a meaning.' "Deliver me… Courage to guide me." 'Fuck fuck fuck…' "Deliver me… Strength from inside me..." 'I think I know her too well, now.'

Hikaru tilted her head, the lights catching her glasses, make them seem silver too. Her hair seemed to just move by itself, as if a draft came in. "All of my life… I've been in hiding…" Izumi smiled, listening backstage. 'Yes, in fact, you have. And…' "Wishing there was someone just like you…" 'You've been doing that too.' "Now that you're here… now that I've found you…" Hikaru's brown eyes slipped closed. 'Uri-P. Think Uri-P.' "I know that you're the one to pull me through..."

Uribatake's jaw dropped. Akatsuki glanced at the mechanic. "Don't get all biased, now." Uribatake didn't even seem to hear him. 'Shit, man, I didn't think it would be this bad… I mean, I know she lied, but still…' "Deliver me… loving and caring…" 'Okay, we've discovered she's singing about me, now what?' "Deliver me… giving and sharing…" 'Though those don't seem to describe me at all…' "Deliver me… the cross that I'm bearing…" '…I see now.'

Izumi saw realization come into the head mechanic's eyes. She tried not to laugh hysterically. 'I knew this song was perfect.' "All of my life… I was in hiding… Wishing there was someone just like you… Now that you're here… now that I've found you… I know that you're the one to pull me through…"

Hikaru's eyes reopened, and she seemed to be daring Uribatake to interpret the song's meaning, with her eyes. "Deliver me… deliver me…" 'If you want me, come and get me, Uri-P.' "Oh… Deliver me…" A gust seemed to come from nowhere, flapping her black skirt and the ends of her yellow shirt. It teased her hair, and made her seem like a sprite or some other kind of fae. "All of my life… I was in hiding… wishing there was someone just like you… Now that you're here… Now that I've found you… I know that you're the one to pull me through…" Her mouth closed, and the wind seemed to get a bit stronger. People were started to get a little frightened at the girl on the stage, but she seemed so serene… "Deliver me… Oh… Deliver me…" It calmed as the last notes played, her hair falling back into place as she whispered the last line. "Won't you deliver me?"

Uribatake was in so much awe; he wondered just why he hadn't snatched up this girl when she first came onto the Nadesico. 'She… she wants me to chase her. She wants me to take her up and make her mine. I think… I'd have to tie up some loose threads… like Ayuko and Genji… but…'

~*~

(Izumi, Hikaru, and Inez Interlude)

Izumi was just changing into her clothes, a white shirt, a black vest, and brown slacks, when Hikaru changed back into her uniform and had come to bug her. "You're really gonna do it, Izumi-chan?"

The blue-haired pilot smiled. "I can't let you get one up on me, you know, Hikaru-chan?"

The redhead sighed. "I think Uri-P caught the message. Now it's all a matter of time." Izumi nodded. "I saw, he looked like he was gonna die. Of what, is another story." Picking up her guitar, she caressed the neck and body of the instrument. Itsuki and Ryoko had finally showed up, and were waiting for the How Mei girls to finish dressing. Yurika was trying to get her makeup right and Megumi had lost the needle to her syringe. Erina was fixing her hair and planting glow sticks in her shoes and pockets.

Izumi began tuning her instrument just as the stage manager announced that she was up after the next person. The quiet pilot just nodded. Hikaru sat down next to the pallid pilot. "You're singing about Miss Fressange, aren't you?" Izumi didn't answer. "You are, aren't you?" Hikaru sighed. "I guess I just never make it in there, will I?" She poked Izumi's sternum softly. Izumi shook her head.

"Gomen ne, Hikaru-chan." She gave her a little hug as she heard the person before her finish up. Izumi stood up and fixed her vest a bit. "Well, time to water the flowers." Hikaru nodded and smiled at her best friend.

Izumi walked out onto the stage and sat upon the stool in the center. Akatsuki announced her to… everyone in general. "Okay, we got Maki Izumi playing guitar and signing 'All you Wanted' by Michelle Branch… it seems we have a lot of these early 21st century remakes now, today, don't we, Seiya?" Uribatake didn't answer, because Izumi had begun to strum her guitar, playing the first opening tune. Her elegant lips parted as she moved her mouth closer to the microphone. "I wanted to be like you…" Hikaru was watching from backstage. 'Back then, you did.' "I wanted everything…" 'You were the most popular of all of us, so you also got everything.'" So I tried to be like you…" 'And started making puns when you were sad… This song is about me, she just doesn't know it.' "And I got swept away…"

Izumi closed her red eyes as she continued to move her pick along the strings. "I didn't know that it was so cold and… you needed someone… to show you the way." 'No, Hikaru.' "So I took your hand and…" 'I may have gotten the habit of acting happy when depressed from you, but you have someone to show you the way.' "We figured out that…" 'Yes, it is about Miss Fressange. She's just like you, no matter how much you think about it, and she's in a lot more pain than you.' "When the tide comes I'd take you away…" 'She needs me now, you don't.'

Izumi stood up, kicking the stool behind her, and made it land with a thud. "If you want to, I can save you! I can take you away from here! So lonely inside, so busy out there… and all you wanted was somebody who cares…" Inez watched the younger girl from backstage as well. 'Well well well. Aren't I the special one. A song performed just for me, is it? Or... is it for her?' The blonde glanced at the redhead, giving her an analyzing look, not a jealous one.

Izumi lowered her tone again. "I'm sinking slowly… So hurry hold me!" Hikaru sighed. 'I did when Ken died… and when Rinji died.' "Your hand is all I have to keep me hanging on!" 'Well, that, and Rinji… and Ryoko… and now Miss Fressange too.' "Please can you tell me… so I can finally see! Where you go… when you're gone…" 'Okay, I'll give Inez that one. Izumi knows I go into myself, retracting and only releasing my anguish on paper or my laptop.' Hikaru watched the blue haired pilot lifted her head again, putting more power into the next verse.

"If you want to, I can save you! I can take you away from here! So lonely inside, so busy out there, and all you wanted was somebody who cares…" Izumi's eyes zipped to where both Inez and Hikaru stood, then back. 'So, they came to watch. Just as well.'

"All you wanted was somebody who cares! If you need me you know I'll be there! … Oh… yeah… If you want to, I can save you… I can take you away from here! So lonely inside, so busy out there, and all you wanted was somebody who cares…"

She slowed the plucking of the strings a bit, ending her song. "Please can you tell me…? So I can finally see… Where you go when you're gone…"

~*~

Itsuki began to pace back and forth in front of the couch in the dressing room. Ryoko was sitting calmly on the couch, a little comfortable in Itsuki's blue dress. Itsuki kept patting her violin case as she walked past it. She also seemed to be rambling. "Ryoko, are you sure you can play that song just as well as you did for me?" "Yes, Itsuki." "Because if you can't, I understand perfectly, I mean, it's kind of nerve-racking on stage, I know." "It's okay, Itsuki. If I mess up, oh well. I'm not really looking forward to playing it anyway." "I understand. Being judged and all. I don't have a problem-" "It seems you are the one with the problem, Itsuki."

Itsuki stopped pacing. She sat down on the couch next to Ryoko, smoothing out her short black skirt as she sat. "I don't have a problem with my performance, Ryoko. My song won me first place in the junior high school talent show before I transferred to pilot school, and I went to a music school. I predict I'll get in at least the top three places. No. I'm worried about your performance." Brown met blue. "You haven't performed before anyone, have you?"

Ryoko shook her head a bit, feeling once again uncomfortable. "That's not bad, though, is it?" Itsuki gave her a smile, one of her real ones. 'I'm so happy… I can share my love for music with the person I fell in love with.' "No. Of course not. But that's why I'm worried. Don't let anyone get you down if you mess up."

Ryoko heard the ending notes of the How Mei girls' song, "Delicious Island" play. "You're up next, aren't you?" Itsuki nodded, her long purple hair bouncing against it's restrains. Her hair was far too long, so she usually pulled it into a loose ponytail when she played her favorite instrument. She stood and picked up her violin case. She picked a piece of lint off of her black tights just as Yurika, dressed in her own dress for performing, walked up to her.

"Good luck to you, Kazamo-san. I go after you, so I'll be rooting for you!" The Captain smiled, feeling happy for the both of them. Itsuki smiled indecently at her. "Oh, don't you worry captain. I don't need luck." She started to walk past her. "I'd keep your luck to yourself, if I were you. That way…" She reached the curtain before turning and facing the confused girl again. "You'll have a chance against me." Itsuki walked out on stage before Yurika could respond.

Uribatake glanced at the program to announce her. "Okay, looks like Kazamo Itsuki's performing… 'The Betrayal'?"

"Ah," answered the violinist, fixing her chin on the instrument as she situated herself to play her piece. When she had quiet, she began to play. At first her tone seemed mysterious, then it became sad as she repeated it.

She began to whisper, softly, as not to move her jaw too much. "Now then, the lilacs' wind you feel, it's not it's home… Burning idea, public response, the hazy water surface's home. The emptiness of the dream world puzzles those in the world… It's a fast time, such of the perfection of the flower." She just continued to play her sad tune, though her background music had someone playing piano with her. It repeated, growing softer, as if it was going to end right there. Her right hand seemed to glow as it caressed the bow. She pushed it again, playing the last note.

She stopped, opened her eyes, and looked at the judges. Akatsuki and Uribatake seemed to be a bit dazed, as if her music grasped them and made them lose sight of themselves. 'Good. That's what I'm best at doing.' She slipped her black tights off, then lifted her black dress over her head to reveal little red bikini. She smiled indecently as the judged got a hold of them and wrote down their own thoughts.

~*~

(Jun and Yurika Interlude)

Itsuki walked backstage, still in her bikini and carrying her clothes. Ryoko seemed in awe, as if she couldn't believe the girl on stage was the person coaching her. Yurika bounced up to Itsuki, telling her she did a wonderful job. She seemed to be still a bit shaky after Itsuki's words and performance, as if she was losing confidence. Itsuki smiled at her, a fake smile. "Oh, it's no big deal, Captain, I'm sure you'll place high." The stage manager signaled Yurika; it was her turn. "Good luck, Captain." Yurika couldn't put her finger on it, but she was sure that smile meant something completely different.

Yurika walked out on stage, and instantly heard Jun enthusiastically announcing her. "She's the queen of outer space, the fire maiden of Mars! And here she is! Misumaru Yurika singing 'Being Myself'!"

Yurika smiled at her best friend as the upbeat song began to play. She kept her green eyes closed until it was her cue to sing. "Throughout… the search… for characteristics… like these emotions…" She turned her head, smiling at the audience of cardboard cutouts Jun set up. "Unexpected sensations… fill the emptiness… in my chest." She reached out with one hand, copying the movements of a girl she saw in a two-hundred-year-old anime as a girl. "What kind… of jewel's color… fades to… this extent?" Her eyes slipped closed again as she sang the next line. "These pure feelings… must been inside me, right?" Her eyes opened dramatically, and she lifted her right hand to the left side of her head. "Chasing my dreams… I'll experience smiles and tears…" It moved back to her right, and tapped out a beat on her shoulder. "I know I find them…" She reached up to wipe a fake tears, then she smiled broadly. "More often!" She reached up and started tapping a beat in the air. "But sometimes… I just want to be myself… and feel the wind!" She lowered her hand, then lifted her shoulder a bit. "Let me feel all the squalls up front!" Smiling even bigger, trying to charm the judges a bit, she reached out with her right hand. "From the beginning of tomorrow… let me be myself… Let me find a future… that's no one else's… all my own!"

Her high-heeled foot began tapping to the beat. "Throughout… all the deep devotion… Surely these sensations were here, right?" She leaned her head on her shoulder, giving the audience of cardboard people a sly look. "Hide the end that lives in this place until… My own limits cross over to the advantages…" She gave a pout, as if she was suddenly sad. "Someday… over time… memories change… My heart filling with haze… things pass on to business…" She closed her eyes again, and, with a flick of her wrist, her dress seemed to just fall off, as if it was just lying on her body. It exposed her little pink swimsuit, seeming to be held on by just her form.

"But sometimes… I just want to be myself… and feel the wind!" She started swaying to the music, as if giving herself up to it. "The dark starry sky… staring at its emptiness… From the beginning of tomorrow… let me be myself…" She started bobbing her head as well, making it seem as if she didn't want to follow the normality for dancing while singing. "Only now… my shining is always important!" She spin on one foot, the other kicking in the air. She slowed. "But sometimes… I just want to be myself… and feel the wind… Let me feel all the squalls up front!" She stopped completely. "From the beginning of tomorrow… let me be myself… Let me find a future… that's no one else's… all my own!" She pointed skyward, her song ending.

Jun grinned broadly. He made the cardboard cutouts applaud his love. Yurika smiled at him. Then she ran up and hugged him. "Oh, Jun-kun! Thank you thank you for writing my song!"

~*~

(Ruri and Omoikane interlude)

Omoikane watched as Akatsuki and Uribatake wrote down their votes, smiling and still bobbing their heads to the song. He was somewhat seething. 'Ruri-sama is going to murder the Captain in this contest. I'm sure of it.' Speak of the devil, Ruri came back on the bridge, dressed in one of the dresses she received from Alfred on her journey to see her biological parents. "Omoikane-chan, are you sure you want me to sing this song?"

Omoikane's mechanical heart dropped. "You don't like it, Ruri-sama?" Ruri shook her head. "No, Omoikane-chan, it's fine. But it seems… Never mind."

Omoikane cocked his head in questioning, but dropped the subject. "It's your turn, Ruri-sama. Shall I turn on the window?" Ruri nodded. Omoikane turned the camera on just as Uribatake started announcing her. "Apparently, our very own, Hoshino Ruri entered this contest, singing 'I Want to Be Your Number One' by… Omoikane?" Ruri nodded, and the opening notes began to play. Omoikane crossed his fingers, but felt another presence enter the bridge. 'Aoi Jun, Executive Officer.'

Ruri's cue came. "Not good… these feelings become occasionally daring… This thought… you don't know. However… this moment is difficult… the memory weeping excuses…" She turned her head a bit, thinking to herself as she sang. 'Omoikane did not write this song for me.'

"Your eyes are focused on your sweetheart… Never failing…" She lowered her head a bit, still swimming in her thoughts. 'He wrote it from his heart, his consciousness.' "But for one moment… just one moment… please look at me." She straightened herself. 'I think Omoikane is in love with me.' "If you break your word… it would hurt. I feel sometimes… I desire sometimes… to be under your love, don't you think?"

Omoikane was also reading Ruri's thoughts. 'Yes. You hit the nail on the head, Ruri-sama. I think I am in love with you.' "One day… one day…" 'I thought so.' "In another time… I want to be your number one at that time." 'But I don't know if your emotions are true.'

Omoikane caught this thought, a bit angry. "My emotions are true, Ruri-sama," whispered he. He felt a comforting hand on his shoulder. 'Aoi-san.' He looked up, and when dark blue met light, a hidden message passed between them. 'We're both the same.'

"Our meeting only limits invitations… Only time changes people. How gentle and soft… my love for you is… isn't it? Sooner… in case of a certain hurt… Together… our distance mourns… this accident doesn't extend to preparation of an emptiness..."

She closed her eyes, concentrating on trying to get a communication with Omoikane back. "Cowardice in people is mournful… Like your loneliness… But still, always… Your number one…" 'Omoikane… answer me…' But he didn't.

She opened her eyes and blinked slowly, a bit hurt. But she continued the performance, reaching forward as the fog closed in, allowing her to quickly change into her swimsuit. "If you break your word… it would hurt. I feel sometimes… I desire sometimes… to be under your love, don't you think?"

Ruri raised her head high, making her seem to be singing to the sky. "One day… one day… In another time… I want to be your number one at that time." She closed her eyes as the last notes played, and she heard a tremendous amount of applause from the communications window.

Omoikane smiled. 'She got my meaning… and she might win. I'm so proud of Ruri-sama.'

No sooner than she finished and the window had been closed had the alarms started to go off. Ruri followed her instinct and ran to her station in her swimsuit and sandals.

~*~

Itsuki heard the alarm and followed her own instincts. 'Ryoko? Where are you?' Ruri's face popped up again. "There has been an explosion in front of the ship. Subaru-san has already launched her Aestivalis." People began rushing from the cafeteria to their station on the bridge, while the pilots went straight to the hangar.

There were no words exchanged as five of eight pilots boarded their Aestis and launched immediately, not even asking for permission from the captain. But once they were out, each other them started flooding Ryoko's communications. "Ryoko! Why did you pull out before the alert?" asked Akito, really confused at the situation. Ryoko glared at him, looking angrier at the Jovian missiles than anyone. "It's my job!"

Click. Gai understood. 'Itsuki was teaching her piano… but she doesn't think she can do it.' As if confirming his thoughts, Ryoko cried out, "Fighting and killing are the only things I do well!" Itsuki beeped in. "Not true. Ryoko, I told you before, you play piano like an angel. I meant it."

Ryoko shook her head in response. "I'm not good at it! Nobody wants to hear any of it!" Tears had started to stream down her face. "Okachan said that she would help me find my star, then she died! No one can help me now!" She broke from her hysterics to whisper, "If this is all I can do… I'd be better off not living at all."

This time, Gai beeped in. "Ryoko, please! You're a very good person! You're the best pilot out of all of us!" Ryoko was shocked. Usually people said Akito or Itsuki were the best pilots. "You're the seams that holds the fabric of this team together! We wouldn't know what to do without you!" added Akito, coming between Ryoko and a missile. 'She's already lost an arm on her Aesti, she shouldn't have to deal with all of this at once.'

Hikaru took her turn to comfort her best friend. "Fighting is all right if you're fighting for friends!" "And family…" interjected Izumi. Ryoko's crying stopped. 'Izumi and Hikaru are my family…' Flashes of them all defending each other through school came. 'We've fought for each other, against society, since we were kids…' Itsuki came in at that point. "Ryoko, I'll help you find something else. But for now, this is the best skill you can have."

Click. Ryoko nodded, the other pilots taking out the other missiles. 'One day, I'll find something else… but for now…' Akatsuki beeped in. "Hey, Ryoko, why don't you come back and perform, it's your turn, you know!" Ryoko turned to Itsuki's window. She smiled. 'Don't worry, I'll still help you.'

~*~

Uribatake couldn't believe it. "Ryoko entered the contest… heh, her girlfriend must have put her up to it." He cleared his throat, put down her card, and read it into the microphone. "And our last contestant is Subaru Ryoko… playing… what?" He had trouble reading it, looking over and under his glasses in attempt to figure it out.

"It's called 'Regret'," answered the green haired pilot, standing nervously next to the piano. "And I wrote it." Uribatake nodded. "What she said! Ryoko, go ahead." Ryoko bowed, then sat down a bit uncomfortable on the bench. A whispered silence grasped the room as the lights dimmed. Ryoko glanced at Itsuki. The purple-haired pilot gave her a thumbs up, indicating that, even though she was scared, she had a chance. Ryoko swallowed hard, and her right hand came up to push the keys.

The hushed silence stilled, and it seemed to concentrate solely on those three notes. Ryoko played the next part, still with her right hand only. 'Don't play for them. Play for yourself.' She saw Izumi and Hikaru standing on the other end of the stage, hanging on to every note. She played the last part again, messing up a bit while she had trouble concentrating. 'Don't concentrate. Give yourself to the music. Let it consume you.' She played the next part, making it sound a bit like a lullaby or a nursery rhyme. She repeated the entire thing, not messing up at all, slowly catching on to everything Itsuki said… no, what her mother said… no, it was her instinct.

She raises her left hand with grace, and pushed the next keys, accenting the lighter tones she was playing with deeper ones. Her mood turned from nervous child, to depressed expert.

Hikaru's first thoughts was back to their school days. 'She wrote this song after her mother died, then she dropped playing the piano. She… wrote it before she knew everything we would end up going through.' She looked up at Izumi, towering over her. Izumi was lost in her own thoughts. 'She's adding more emotion to it as she goes along, pushing her anger, her hatred, her sadness into her work. Hikaru and I do the same…'

Ryoko finally got a bit of a beat going, and she repeated the deep notes. Then she continued, making it sound like the end, or the beginning, of a long story she was telling. Her eyes closed, and she didn't see the keys. She felt them, and not with her fingers. 'With my memory.' She hit the lowest notes of the song. 'This is for my mother dying.' She hit high and low and the same time, not even remembering that she was playing for a group. She did it again, a bit softer this time. 'This is for me becoming a tomboy.' She kept playing the soft notes, feeling again the helplessness. 'This is for my father becoming a mean old bastard.' She went back to hitting high and low. 'Being teased, being told to not cause fights, getting my ass kicked… all of this and more.'

Her notes became a bit happier, a bit faster, lighter. 'Hikaru and Izumi are my saviors.' Her tone resembled that of an organized dance song, like a waltz. 'They saw my inside self before anything else. They didn't cut me off because I was a tomboy. They embraced me because I was different.' Her playing began to slow, going back to being a sad nursery rhyme, a depressing lullaby. It slowed so much; it became only single notes, one at a time. Then she played the very last part. Three deep notes, all at the same time. 'This is for my life.' She didn't even see the lights come back on, nor hear the applause she got. She also didn't see Izumi and Hikaru nearly in tears.

She didn't see Itsuki smiling serenely, happy to listen to the incredible song, even if this would be the last time she heard it.

~*~

'Third place overall. I got third place overall. I tied with Izumi. Izumi's been playing guitar for years… and I tied with her. And Itsuki was right, she got second place, tying with Hikaru-chan, the Captain, and Megumi. …Did I know I was going to place high? No, of course not.' Ryoko blinked slowly, trying to reach for sleep, but it running off, chased away by light and constant movement. She grunted irritably, turning on her side. Hikaru noticed this, leaning over her top bunk. "Gomen ne, Ryoko-chan. I'll be quieter."

Izumi came out of the bathroom, wringing out her hair. "Hikaru-chan, you should go to sleep now anyway. We have a battle tomorrow afternoon, and we should be well rested."

Hikaru sighed, gathering her papers. "Yeah, yeah…" She stuck them all in her little cubby, then actually laid down, sticking her headphones on. Izumi turned off the light. She glanced at Ryoko, finally catching up with sleep. 'I don't think there will be any more nightmares.' She pulled back the curtain on her bottom bunk, and went to bed.

~*~

(Ariko and Rachiku Interlude)

Ariko came back to his new room to find a blinking message. He himself blinked as he read the kana. '"Call us immediately!" Definitely Okasama and Otosama. More likely Okasama.' He sighed, not even bothering to change out of his blue uniform before he messaged his own house.

He didn't expect his younger brother Rachiku to answer the message. "Well, Oniisama, I didn't expect you to be calling so late. Shame on you." Ariko glared at the blonde on the screen. "Where are Okasama and Otosama?"

Rachiku shrugged. "I told them to go to bed. They have been up two days straight worried sick about you, Oniisama."

"And just what's it to you, Rachiku? Trying to convince Okasama and Otosama that you should be heir, since the two at the top are both drafted on the Nadesico?"

"Oh, is THAT what you've been doing?" countered the blonde prince, wrinkling his nose. "I see that now. Such a grungy uniform. Not at our standards at all. And just what if I am convincing them? You never wanted the responsibility, and neither did Oneesama."

Ariko didn't have an answer for that. "Tell our parents… that I'm now a mechanic-in-training on the Nadesico. We're entering the Battle of the Indian Ocean as a rear guard tomorrow afternoon. Tell them not to worry, either. The crew is nice. And… I love them."

Rachiku sniffed snobbishly. "What makes you think I'll actually tell them all that?" Blue met blue through a communications screen. "Because it's the right thing to do," explained the older as he closed the communications window.

TBC…

~*~

A/N: Are you happy now? Wasn't Ryoko so huggable during her performance? ^^ Anyway, how did you like this chapter? It was stewing in my brain since I started this fic, and this is the result. Hope you like it! And I just kinda threw in the end, but I was also working on the characters of Ariko and Rachiku just as long. ^^ Anyway, the next chapter may be much shorter, since the next chapter will have NO PLOT! Whee! No, really, it'll be the morning and two hours after lunch, just following the pilots. So, it'll just be a fun chapter. As always, don't forget to review me! 


	13. New friends in the most unexpected place...

A/N: Ohhhhkayyyy. Here we go. The plotless, fun chapter. First of all, thank you people who… will probably review me from now to when I actually finish this. And also, thank you people who gave me ideas on what they should do, as sitting around and talking like dumbasses is much more… retarded-like than sitting around doing something and talking. But yeah. Anyway, the playlist thingy? Great ready for happy songs! "U+K" by Camui Gackt, "Until Strawberry Sherbet" by Hayashibara Megumi, "Party" and "Chasing Girls" from Bakuretsu Hunters, "Freckles" from Rurouni Kenshin, and "Cinco de Chocobo" and "Electric de Chocobo" by Nobou Uematsu. *breathes* Okay, what should we see here? Well, there may be some bashing of various characters… in some places, that's kinda… literal, anyway… Jun finally joins the pilots to breakfast! Whee! Anyway. I would keep an eye out for some extremely-obvious foreshadowing and such… Everything that's not mine is copyrighted by whoever does own it. And… no offense to religious people, I just don't think soldiers in a war, seeing people die, would think that God is in his heaven and soon drop religion if they weren't completely devoted. And… yeah. Here's the funness!

~*~

'No matter what I do… I'll probably always just be her "best friend",' thought Jun as he got dressed for the day. 'She can't even see that I'm madly in love with her… I suppose Omoikane and me aren't the same. Ruri at least understands that he loves her. Yurika just can't get it through her thick skull.' He sighed. "I don't even remember what attracted me to her in the first place… Hell, I don't even remember when I didn't want her!" He walked out his door. "Maybe I could go to breakfast or something… Not that there's anything else for me to do. Except take up Yurika's space when she goes to look for Akito." He started in the direction of the cafeteria. "I don't think I've ever been to breakfast here on the Nadesico. I don't know if anyone actually goes at all. And why am I talking to myself?" He turned a corner, the metal doors to the kitchen shining a bit in the somewhat dim light. "I think I may be going crazy. Oh well. I'll just be like everyone else on this boat, then." He opened the door, making the mistake of assuming he'd be sitting down in a quiet room, enjoying a snack from a vending machine in peace.

"Okay, Hikaru-chan, pummel him!" yelled a somewhat hoarse voice. Jun's dark blue eyes widened. "My pleasure!" replied a somewhat hyper voice. "Itai-ai-ai-ai!!!! Hikalu-tan, leggo by dose!!! Id huuurds!!!"

One of Jun's eyes began to twitch. The punning pilot known as Izumi was holding Akito's hands behind his back, while the redhead Hikaru pulled his nose as hard as she could. A blue-haired cook at the ordering counter watched, laughing. The Martian's boyfriend sat at a table, trying not to laugh himself. Across from him was the purple-haired lesbian, kissing the junction between the jaw and the skull of the tomboy pilot Ryoko.

All action stopped almost immediately. Jun swallowed, starting to blush from embarrassment, and sat down at his seat at the table next to theirs. That's where he sat normally, after all. He stared at the metal smoothness of the table, trying to remove his blood from his face. 'God… just… GOD!'

Izumi looked over Akito's shoulder to Hikaru, who, though she wasn't pulling it, still had a firm grip on the Martian's nose. They both nodded, and released the cook. Akito ran back to his spot next to Gai, rubbing his nose. He ran a hand through his hair, trying to get it stay out of his face. "That hurt a lot…" whispered he, though everyone heard it. Gai wrapped an arm around his waist. "Here, I'll kiss it to make it feel better, okay?" He lightly pecked the side of Akito's somewhat small nose. The Martian giggled, but continued to rub his nose. "Just remind me not to insult Hikaru and Izumi again…"

And speaking of the two friends, Izumi walked over to Jun's table and promptly planted her ass on it. Hikaru grasped the back of Jun's chair. When Jun suddenly realized that, instead of smooth metal, he was now staring at a black-fabric-covered butt, he started to blush even more. He looked up, trying to look straight ahead, but Izumi had strategically placed in his line of vision her breasts, Jun looked like he was going to burst a blood vessel. The redhead behind him giggled as she pulled his chair, with him still in it, over to their table, until she had it facing away from the ordering counter, at the end where Akito and Izumi sat. Izumi smiled, having done her duty, and hopped off the table, going back to her seat at her own table.

Hikaru sat down too. "I'm sure Uri-P will be happy to have your booty-juice all over where he sits, Izumi-chan." Izumi shook her head, her blue bangs swinging from in front of one eye to the other. "He'd be happier if it was yours." Hikaru put a finger to her small mouth. "Probably, but for that job, I'd be too short. You're the taller one."

Jun finally came out of his shock, leaning forward to rest his arms on the table. "What the hell was all of that?!?" Izumi turned toward him. "All of what? The murdering of our little Akito-chan or the seduction of you?" Jun hid his face to conceal his rattled state. All of the pilots laughed.

Hikaru started to tell the story. "Well, we were just talking about stuff that's been going on… and we got on the subject of Ruri-chan's family. And how strange it was that an amusement park took over Denmark and turned it into a kingdom."

Izumi's eyes closed, a smile plastered all over her features. "Someone brought up how odd it was that they had European names, but a Japanese family name, and that most of their kids had Japanese names."

Itsuki told the next part, her indecent smile based on the fact that she was slowly feeling up Ryoko. "A certain Martian- not to name names-," she pointed toward Akito, who stuck his tongue out at her, "no, Tenkawa-san. I don't swing that way. Anyway, Akito said, and I quote, 'I guess Europeans are just fucked up like that.' End quote." She smiled cruelly at Akito, who had started to glare daggers at her.

Ryoko batted Itsuki's hands away. "Which was rather stupid on Tenkawa's part, because he apparently didn't know that Hikaru was half-Irish, and Izumi was half-British."

Gai smiled at the two girls who had attacked Akito. "So they attempted to kill the smart-mouthed little ass." The smart-mouthed little ass looked up, turning his glare from Itsuki to Gai. "I'll have you know, you happen to want this little ass, so if you want to get any more affection this century, you'd shut your own smart-mouthed little ass." Gai made a pinching gesture in front of Akito's nose. "Just because Hikaru's already done it, doesn't mean it stops me." The Martian covered his nose. "It'll be bruised before the day is over…" he muttered. He ran a hand through his hair again.

Jun glared at the taller, female pilot. "What's with shoving your behind and breasts in my face?" Hikaru fanned a hand at him. "Maa… No need to act like a grammar book, Junny. We're all adults here. Izumi, tell the poor-non-corrupted boy why you shoved your ass and boobs in his face to get him to sit at our table."

Izumi smirked. "Because, if we asked nicely, you would have declined. So, I took matters into my own hands-" Hikaru coughed, indicating that she was lying her ass off, "Okay, me and Hikaru took matters into our own hands and for her to push your chair over here, you had to be distracted. All else fails, I was supposed to completely flash you, but it didn't fail, now, did it?" She smirked at the Executive Officer.

Jun sighed, and laid his head on his arms. Itsuki removed her arm from Ryoko's shoulders, and folded her hands in from of her on the table. "Okay, Aoi-san, what's your story?" This caught Jun by surprise. "Huh?"

Itsuki pointed at herself, then Gai. "We've known each other since we were three," she motioned toward the Three Angels, "they've known each other since they were seven," she finally pointed at Akito, "and he's been hanging around the captain since… what? Five?" Akito nodded.

Jun looked away. "I… met Yurika at the Space Academy." Itsuki clicked her tongue. "Tsk, tsk, Aoi-san, I can tell automatically what happened. You and Yurika got engaged, because she wanted to marry her best friend, since she thought her childhood friend was dead. You let her graduate top of your class, you only coming in second. You followed her all over, drooling over her very footprints. Am I close in any way, shape, or form?"

All the other pilots dropped their jaws. Jun's blue eyebrows furrowed, and he nodded slowly. "How did you know…" he voiced just about everyone's thoughts.

Itsuki shrugged. "When you're hated by half the female population of Kawasaki, you tend to start reading romance novels. It was in a book I read once."

Izumi blinked. "Shit, man. I thought I was a bookworm."

"You are," countered Hikaru. "What's on the agenda today… okay, more like when do we absolutely have to start our battle checklist?" Gai used his communicator to open the schedule window. "Two o'clock this afternoon, why?"

Hikaru stood up and jumped up and down. "I wanna do something!!!" Ryoko shook her head. "To think, this is her with too much sleep." Akito looked at the redhead pilot. "What do you suggest we do?" He pushed his hair back one more time, and the quiet pilot yelled something that could only be described as a battle cry.

"Arrrrgggg!!! Akito, dammit, your hair is really fucking pissing me off! You've tried to push it back, like, five times since we sat down here! That is it!" She stood, grabbed the Martian's arm, and pulled him out of his chair. "I'm giving you a haircut, right now! My room, on the double!" She pulled the cook right out of the cafeteria, while all the other pilots just sat and blinked.

Gai was the first to break the silence. "What the fuck just happened here?" Hikaru rolled her eyes. "Oh, don't you know, Gai-chan? 'I'm giving you a haircut' in Izumi lingo means 'I'm giving you hot and wild sex'. Duh!"

Gai glared at the artist. "You had better be joking." Hikaru shook her head. "Of course I'm joking, dumbass! God, you can be really possessive, you know that?" Gai smiled slightly, indicating that the insult didn't affect him at all, maybe even flattering him. Itsuki groaned. "Okay, can we stop the sap party? Personally, I'd like to see how fry-cook boy is able to fight back Izumi in the battle of the scissors." She got up. "Gomen, Ryoko, but I think I'm going to have to plant vibrators in your bed." The purple-haired pilot giggled, then skipped off, leaving the tomboy sputtering and trying to catch up, yelling that she had best not if she wants to keep her legs. Gai, Hikaru, and Jun kind of just watched them run off with cocked heads.

Gai glanced at Hikaru. "… She's done this before, hasn't she?" Hikaru nodded, and ran a hand through her own hair. "She's really good. She even layered mine. Though… I don't think Akito knows that," answered the redhead with a smirk. Gai grinned back, "Only one way to find out, ne?" Hikaru nodded, and turned to Jun. "Shall we?"

Jun blinked, kind of confused at why she suddenly included him. "Me? Oh, I don't want to intrude…" Hikaru shook her head, walked over to where he was sitting and grasped his right hand. "Whether you like it or not," Jun's IFS shimmered into sight, "You're a pilot. And we pilots gotta stick together. So we're all kinda… really good friends. And you have just now joined our ranks." Jun nodded in understanding. Hikaru released his hand. Jun had another question. "If the pilots have to stick together… why don't you hang around Akatsuki-san?"

Gai shook his head and got up. "He may be a pilot, but none of us really trust him." Hikaru shook her head in agreement, and pulled Jun up.

As the three of them started walking toward the Three Angel's room, Jun started to think. 'Before today, Yurika was my only friend on this boat. I walk into the cafeteria, and I gain six friends. They already trust me. I'm kind of shocked… and kind of honored.'

~*~

The first thing one would see, had they not known what was taking place, would be Ryoko straddling Akito, attempting to kiss him, while Izumi was doing something kinky that involved his head and a pair of scissors. It also involved a towel around Akito's shoulders. One could only guess what that was for.

But Hikaru, Gai, and Jun did know what was really going on. Akito was still squirming, and Ryoko was sitting on his lap, trying to get him to stop kicking. He was also shaking his head, and Ryoko grabbed both sides to make him stop it. Izumi was slowly, but surely, shortening the Martian's hair the best she could, with all his wriggling. Itsuki sat in a gray swivel chair by the desk, just watching the escapade.

Hikaru walked over to Ryoko's bed and sat down next to Akito. "Calm down, Akito-chan! Izumi's really good, I swear! Just let her cut your fucking hair!" Izumi snickered, then lowered the scissors near Akito's crotch, making snip-snip motions.

Ryoko batted her hand away. "That's kinda close to mine, thank you very much." Akito sighed and settled. Ryoko got off his lap and sat on the other side of him. Izumi glanced at the tomboy. "Speaking of yours, you may have to dye your hair again soon." Ryoko reached up, feeling the green strands. "Why?"

"You're getting roots." Ryoko groaned, feeling the very top of her head. Itsuki shook her head. "Ryoko, you can't feel a difference in hair color. Can you?" she asked Izumi. The blue-haired pilot shrugged and took the towel off Akito's shoulders. "You're done, boy. Off." Gai was glomping him before Akito could say "okay".

"'Kito-chan you look so adorable!!!" Hikaru stuck her fingers in her ears and asked Izumi, loudly, "I need a trim too, Izumi-chan." Izumi nodded, and Hikaru put the towel around her shoulders. Jun looked at his watch. '6:30. My god, it's only been a half-hour.' "So, Amano-san, what do you suggest we do?"

Hikaru shrugged slightly, trying not to mess Izumi up as she snipped the ends of her hair off. "Maybe we could just hang out…"

Itsuki rolled her eyes. "Or maybe we could just sit around like dumbasses, talking. It will look a lot more convincing if we were actually doing something while sitting around bored shitless. You know, in case the captain beeps in looking for Tenkawa-san… or the captain beeping in looking for Aoi-san… Uribatake-san beeps in looking for Hikaru-chan…" The respective pilots blushed. Ryoko laughed slightly, then poked Hikaru in the arm. "Come on, Red, come up with something."

Hikaru's eyebrows gathered in thought. "Well, we could always play cards or something…" Izumi shook her head. "We kinda have seven people, that's kinda a lot, you know?" Hikaru closed her eyes. "Not if we use two decks… I know!" She snapped her fingers. "Let's play Idiot!" Ryoko groaned. "I suck at Idiot…" Itsuki's eyebrows raised and Gai's eyes widened. "You know how to play Baka?" asked they in unison.

Izumi gave them a funny look. "Of course we do, we learned it in Junior High."

"We learned it in High School." Akito and Jun felt out of the loop. "What's Idiot?" asked the Martian. Jun nodded.

Five sets of jaw dropped. "You don't know how to play Idiot?!?" exclaimed Gai. The two of them shook their heads. Izumi took the towel off Hikaru's shoulders and handed it to her. "Shake it out in the bathroom garbage." The artist ran off to comply. Ryoko poked her next. "Give me Hikaru's and your decks. I'll teach these… Idiots how to play." Those who understood the reference laughed. Izumi grabbed hers and tossed it to the green-haired pilot. Then she climbed up the ladder to Hikaru's bed and opened her cubby. "Damn, Hikaru, you got enough drawing materials in here?" She found the deck in the mess of papers, and tossed it to Ryoko as well. Ryoko expertly caught them. She opened the two boxes and began shuffling cards.

After about two shuffles, Itsuki was getting antsy. "Are you gonna explain the rules, or do I have to do it?"

"Huh? Oh, right. Um, sure. Go ahead." Itsuki cleared her throat then sat on the floor next to Ryoko, who had moved from her perch to the floor. "Okay. First things first. We put cards down in higher number order, you know: fours beat threes, sevens beat fives, aces beat everything, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera. Twos are wild, and you can put them and then any card on top. Tens make the pile go away. If four of the same number are put down in a row, that makes the pile go away." Ryoko started dealing as Izumi sat on the floor next to Itsuki and Hikaru sat down next to her. Gai continued for the violet-haired pilot. "Don't pick up those cards. Those are secret. Okay, you have three cards in your hand at all time that there is a picking-up pile. When it finally goes away, you can get rid of your cards, instead of picking one or two up to replace them. Then you can use the cards on top of the secret ones-" Ryoko started dealing those out too, "and when they're gone, you better hope and pray that the secret cards are good."

Ryoko dealt out the hand cards, and Hikaru continued the rules. "If you can't beat the card that's down, you have to pick up the pile. When you're at these cards," she pointed at her cards on top of her secret ones, "If you can't beat it, you have to pick one up. Also, right now," Ryoko finished dealing, and put the extra pile down, "you can switch your cards out for better ones. You want to have your good cards down here and your crappy cards in your hand." The seven pilots look at their hands.

"Okay, I can't deal anymore. I gave myself complete shit," assessed Ryoko, switching her 2 of hearts for a 3 of spades. Izumi switched everything but her queen of diamonds. "I beg to differ. I have a feeling I'm going to win."

"Dammit, this three is gonna kill me…" said Hikaru, switching only one card.

Itsuki flipped the first card from the pile. "I go first, dealer goes last." She put a jack on the seven.

"Since when?" demanded Ryoko as Izumi went. "That's how we played in Kawasaki, ne, Jiro?" Gai had to nod.

"Dammit! I knew it!" exclaimed Hikaru as she picked up the pile. Izumi looked over her shoulder. "You're right. You are so not going to win." Hikaru glared at the blue-haired pilot. "Bite me, Izumi."

As Jun and Akito took their turns hesitantly, Izumi shook a pale finger at the redhead. "Now, now, Hikaru. Don't order me to do such things. I just might do it." She snapped her jaws, to emphasize her point. Hikaru sighed.

"Such is the life of the water-obsessed vampire." Izumi shrugged. Gai looked over his cards at them, one dark brown eyebrow raised. As he put down his 6, he questioned them, "Care to elaborate, oh confusing ones?" Ryoko shook her head, putting down two 8s. "No… let's not." Itsuki put down a queen to counter her eights. "Oh yes, let's. Do tell."

Izumi put down a ten, and took the pile away. "Goodbye! Anyway, yeah, way back when we were young and stupid, we played around with the idea that I was a vampire and Hikaru was a witch. Ryoko was back on earth, so we didn't mess with her much." Itsuki nodded. "I remember doing something similar. I believe I was a werewolf, right, Jiro?" Gai nodded.

Hikaru put down a three, and continued the story. "Well, Izumi's suddenly decided to start playing Dungeons and Dragons, the loser." Izumi hit the redhead in the back of the head. "Shut up and tell the story." Hikaru rubbed the spot. "Ow! Bitch! Anyway, so she went on this whole 'you know, I think I'm a water mage' thing that drove me insane. But I started reading this book series from, like, 21st century that had a girl that looked like me in it, and she was a weather mage. So I was all, 'Whee! If Izumi wants to be a water mage, I can be a wind mage!' Needless to say, we were huge losers when we were kids."

Ryoko scoffed, putting her hand of a 2 and two 3s to counter Gai's 8. Picking up three cards, she told the end. "Were losers? You guys still are. At least I can admit, though, that when I came back I was in on it. I took this random quiz online and I got earth as my element. I was a little upset, but Hikaru told me about some guy in her books that was an earth mage… though he worked with plants. What were the words you used? 'Thorn hell'?" Hikaru nodded.

Itsuki dropped another 3. "So you thought it was cool? You would, Ryoko-chan." Ryoko shrugged. After Hikaru put down her 7 to beat Izumi's other two 7s, Jun put down a jack. "It seems you all have stories to tell… I kinda don't."

Itsuki's brown eyes lit up. "Oh oh! I've gotta tell you this one about Jiro!" Gai rolled his eyes as he put down two aces to counter Akito's queen. "Which story about me is this, Itsuki? The crying in public one, the pissing my pants one, the crying for my mommy at a dinner party one…" Itsuki shook her head. "This is the getting lost story." She cleared her throat as Ryoko put down her entire hand again, a 2 and two 5s.

"Shit, Ryoko, you like to play strange. Anyway. Okay, Jiro wanted a sandwich while I was visiting his house one day. He starts off to go look for his mom. I knew his parents weren't home, they were at my house, but he didn't listen. He never listens to me." She put down a 6. "So he goes wandering off to go find his mom. I told him to ask the cook for a sandwich, but no… he wanted his mommy to make him one. So I follow him to make sure he doesn't get into trouble. Only, we did get into trouble. Yamada Jiro got lost in his own house."

Izumi was just sitting and listening. When she realized it was her turn, she put down two aces. "Gai-san. You are a fucking idiot."

Hikaru took one look at the aces. "Ya bitch!" yelled she, picking up the pile for the second time. Gai glared at the blue-haired pilot. "Hey, I was only five, what do you expect from me?"

Akito put a 9 on Jun's 8. "A complete fifty-page paper on the mechanisms and physics of boson jumping." Gai shook his head and put down another 9. "Excuse me, 'Kito-chan, but I'm not Miss Fressange."

Ryoko put down a jack. "Speaking of Miss Fressange, Izumi, what was with that song you sang at the contest? Do you think you could GET any more obvious?" Itsuki laughed, putting down another jack. "It's true, you know."

Izumi shook her head. "Fuck you, Itsuki," responded she as she picked up the pile. "My song wasn't as obvious as Hikaru's. I could have been talking about a lot of people. Miss Fressange, Hikaru, Ryoko…"

Hikaru put down four 3s. "Goodbye!" she yelled, throwing the 3s into the discard pile. "Anyway, Izumi, you picked my song for me, so don't you even start on the 'Hikaru's was more obvious' crap. Besides, I talked to Miss Fressange afterwards. She knows you want her now."

Itsuki whooped as Jun put down a queen. "Go Izumi! Looks like you'll be the first one of us to score in this lifetime!" Gai, Akito, and Ryoko glared at her. "What?"

Akito sighed and put his own queen down. "The only thing keeping me back is the fact that I'm fickle… and I can't make up my mind." Gai put down an ace, then gave Akito a little hug. "You will someday."

Ryoko growled. "Bastard…" she picked up the pile, and while she was setting up her cards, Itsuki put down a 4.

"Why can't you make up your mind, Tenkawa-san?" asked the purple-haired pilot as Izumi put down a 5. Akito shrugged. "Like I said, I'm fickle. I know Ryoko and Megumi don't want or even need me, which is okay-" he nodded his head at Ryoko, who rolled her eyes, "but Yurika and Gai-chan-" he looked up at his boyfriend, "want me still, and I can't decide which I want yet." Gai closed his eyes and pointed up a finger, explanation-like. "All in good time, young grasshopper."

Hikaru rolled her eyes and put down two more 5s. "Baka Gai-chan. So it's one of those flip-a-coin things, Akito-chan?" Jun put down a 7, being quieter than he should be in a group of seven. Akito gave Hikaru a sidelong glance as he put down a 9. "I think it's should have a lot of thought go into it, and not be a flip-a-coin thing." Gai smiled at Akito, then stuck his tongue out at Hikaru. He put down a 10. "Goodbye!"

As Ryoko put down two 5s, Hikaru batted her eyelashes at Gai. "Lovely offer, really. But first of all, I don't think your little smart-mouthed ass of a boyfriend would like it," this angered Akito a bit, "Again with the smart-mouthed little ass… my ass isn't that little!" "But I also don't think it would win me brownie points with the person I do want to get." She smiled, and put two 6s on Izumi's 6.

Jun put down a queen. "I know about this, at least," the XO muttered, "Uribatake-san's been complaining about it for a couple weeks." He looked up, and realized everyone was looking at him. "Um, isn't it Tenkawa-san's turn?" Akito kept looking at him as if lobsters were flying out of his ears as he put down an ace.

Gai grumbled something that sounded like "Cock-tease" as he picked up the pile. Hikaru practically pounced Jun as Ryoko put down a 6. "He has?!? REALLY??? I thought the idea completely dropped from his mind when I turned him down!" Now it was everyone else's turn to look at Hikaru funny, all but Izumi of course.

"You turned him down?!?" screamed Itsuki as she put down a 7. Hikaru nodded, her dark brown eyes getting as big as saucers, no, screw saucers, they were as big as dinner plates. Izumi put down an 8. "I know. Rather dumb of her, ne? Especially since she's always whining that she feels unloved and such." Itsuki nodded.

Hikaru looked down and put another 8 down. "He's married, you guys…" Jun put down a king, feeling better that he could actually contribute to the conversation. "So? He said he was probably going to divorce her when we all go back anyway. They've been fighting for years, mostly from his womanizing, but she can be pretty unfaithful too. He said he's not even sure if their son is his."

Akito choked on air. "Okay, one, you're an ass and a half." The Martian picked up the pile. "Second, they have a son?!?"

Jun nodded. Gai put down a three. "How do you know all this?"

Jun responded as Ryoko put down two queens. "When you're at a Christmas party getting dead drunk, you tend to learn a lot about a person." Itsuki glared at Ryoko. "If I didn't want you so much, I'd hurt you." She had to pick up the pile.

Izumi put down an 8, glancing at the other pilots. "Speaking of party, you guys owe me one." Hikaru gave her a funny look for a minute. Then realization broke out on her face. As she put down three jacks, she frowned deeply. "Shit!!! I can't believe I totally forgot! Fucking hell!"

"What?" cried everyone as Jun put down a ten. "Um? Goodbye?" Itsuki put the pile in the discard pile. "The hells are you talking about Hikaru?"

Hikaru looked down again, and Izumi patted her on the back. "I can't believe I fucking forgot Izumi-chan's birthday!!!"

Izumi smiled at her friend. "It's okay, I forgot until this morning, too. I've been twenty for a day, and I hadn't known it."

"Yesterday was your birthday?" asked Itsuki. "Why didn't you say something?" She looked at the ace Ryoko put down. "Ya bitch…" She picked up the pile.

"Yesterday was also the contest, if you don't remember. Everyone was all hyped up about it, and I was too, but yeah…" She put down two 9s.

Hikaru put down a queen. "So… we need to have a party anyway! I mean, you don't turn twenty everyday!" Jun took a king from the top of one of his secret cards and placed it on the pile. "I turn twenty in 8 days…" commented the Martian as he put another king down. The redhead looked delighted. "Oh my gosh! We can have a double party! We never get to do those!" Gai grumbled something about being the youngest as he put down an ace.

Ryoko put her 2 and jack from her cards on top of her secret ones. "My birthday isn't for a while yet. At least two more weeks." Itsuki nodded, putting down two queens. "March 5th, right?" The green haired pilot nodded.

"Frickin' whore…" grumbled Izumi as she picked up the pile. "My birthday is three days after Ryoko's…" said Jun, putting his jack on Hikaru's 4. She clapped as Akito picked up the pile, mumbling that Jun was an asshole from hell. "That's great! Two double birthday's now!"

Gai put down three 5s. "This sucks major ass! My birthday isn't until October 24th!" Ryoko snickered, putting down her other 2 and flipping the left secret card, which just happened to be a 6. "Yeah, you are the youngest." Jun looked down as Itsuki put down a 9. "I feel like such a loser. I'm hanging out with a bunch of teenagers."

Izumi gave him a funny look as she put two more 9s down. "What do you mean? How old are you?" Hikaru put down four aces, throwing the pile away and yelling "Goodbye!"

As he put down his 2 and then flipped one to get a king, he responded, "Twenty-one, almost twenty-two." Six sets of jaws dropped.

"I didn't think you were THAT old, Jun! I knew you must have been a bit older, since Yurika was two years older than me, but still!" Akito looked at the pile. "Shit. You're, like, five asses now…" He picked it up.

"Gods fucking dammit! I am the youngest!" Gai threw three 6s down.

"And the tallest, don't forget." Ryoko looked at the pile before flipping. "666, number of the beast." She flipped a card, getting a 9.

"Oh, please don't tell me you believe that stuff," whined Itsuki, putting down an ace. Ryoko knit her black eyebrows and shook her head no, giving Itsuki a funny look as Izumi put down another ace. "Why would I?"

"We've never been really sure about your… religious orientation, Ryoko. Hell, I think Izumi and me are the only ones sure that we are atheists!" exclaimed Hikaru, putting down two 2s and five 7s. "Goodbye!"

Jun flipped another card, getting a 3. "I know what I am. I'm agnostic." Hikaru giggled as Akito put down his 4. "Does that have something to do with you having to be a nun during the funerals?" Jun smiled at the artist. "That's some of it."

Gai gave Jun a funny look as he put down a queen. "Jun… in a penguin dress… Okay, screw that, Jun's a drag queen?" Jun sputtered, trying to give him a negative answer.

Ryoko placed a hand over her last card. "Please be good, please be good…" She flipped it, and it was an 8. "Dammit!" She picked up the pile.

Itsuki shook her head, putting down two 3s.. "Jiro, the definition of a drag queen is a gay guy that dresses up like a woman. Now, unless Yurika's got a dick, Jun isn't gay."

Izumi put down three jacks. "Well, maybe Yurika's the drag queen in this situation. I mean, breast pads are not that hard to find, nor to make."

Hikaru picked up a jack, threw it one the pile, then threw entire pile away. "Goodbye! You know, I don't think guys can grow hair that long… And she runs pretty good in high-heels." Jun flipped his last card, a 3. "I guess I win… but not in what we're talking about," mumbled Jun, cringing a bit.

Akito shuddered at their choice of subject, putting down a 6. "Yurika, a guy. Jesus, give me nightmares, why don't you… Besides, she's definitely a girl. I've known her forever and she's molested me enough when I was a kid to know- okay, why am I reassuring everyone that Yurika's female?" They all burst out laughing, realizing how dumb this conversation was.

Gai put down his king. "If any of the girls on this ship are not really female, it's that bitch Erina. God, I hate her!" Ryoko raised a black eyebrow. "What, so Erina must not be a chick because you hate her? That's some fucked up logic." She looked at the pile. "Dammit!" cursed the tomboy, picking it up.

Itsuki put down a 4. "He's right though. I mean, she's an obvious lesbian, though not flamboyant as I am, but she's much more butch than the average woman." Ryoko glared at the musician. "Are you saying I'm butch too?"

Izumi scoffed, dropping three queens. "Ryoko, only Erina beats you in that category…" Ryoko rolled her blue eyes. "Gee, thanks Izumi-chan."

Hikaru threw down a ten, then waved for Izumi to take the pile away. "Goodbye! If we get into the subject of butchness, you should have seen Ryoko before Mom died," she commented.

Jun turned sideways, stretching his legs as Akito put down two 7s. "Why would Ryoko be butch before your mother died?" asked the Martian.

"No no no. Mom is Subaru Yukari, Ryoko's mother. Mother is Hikaru's mom, Lara Amano," Izumi cleared up as Gai out down two 8s.

"Or, in my case, Miss Amano was Mom, my mom was Okachan, and Mother's Izumi's mom, Chloe Lamington," explained Ryoko, putting down an 8.

"So, you called your own mother's Okachan and everyone else's the English versions of Mother. Who's Mommy?" Itsuki grinned, putting down a queen. Gai slapped a hand to his forehead. "I knew it. I knew you were going to tell that story, oh my god…" Itsuki smiled mischievously at her childhood friend.

Izumi put down two kings. "What, is that a reference to something?" Hikaru rolled her dark eyes, throwing in a 2 and flipping her first card, which ended up being a king. "Duh, Izumi-chan, if all she says is 'who's mommy' and Gai suddenly thinks of the same thing she means, then I think it is a reference to something." Izumi stuck her tongue out at her.

Akito threw down a king, as did Gai, as Hikaru smiled wickedly at Izumi. "Oh, is that an offer, Izumi-chan? It's about time, don't you think?" Izumi rolled her own eyes. "Baka."

One of Jun's dark blue eyebrows went up. "Okay, what the hell?" Ryoko shook her head, putting down another king. "Goodbye! I don't think you should get them, or, rather, Hikaru into that whole thing…" Itsuki made a pouty face at Ryoko. "I wanna hear, dammit." She threw down a ten, then took it away. "Waste of a ten…"

Izumi shook her head, too, putting down a 2 and picking up her queen and throwing it in. "I keep telling you, Hikaru, that's one of the reasons it would work much better if you went with Uribatake-san." Hikaru flipped another card, getting an ace. "Oh, poo on you. Okay, my total, never-ending crush on Izumi." She cleared her throat as Akito put down a ten. "Goodbye." "All righty. Way back in the middle of freshman year, I got dumped once again by one of my boyfriends, but I was getting numb from it, so I just went to Izumi's house to go hang, right? Ryoko wasn't involved with this yet, but she would be about a month later when I would rant to her."

Gai groaned as he put down a jack. "Get on with it already…" Hikaru made an ugly face at him before going on. "We had been pretending we were lovers for a month or so then, you know, for the hell of it. It was also to get a rile out of Izumi's boyfriend, future fiancée then- hey, don't interrupt, Itsuki." Itsuki had opened her mouth to say something, but shut it when Hikaru jumped on her ass. Ryoko smiled a bit, then put down her own queen. "But anyway, I was starting to get feelings… Then I went home a wrote a poem about the feelings that seemed to appear out of nowhere." Itsuki put down a ten slowly, then took the pile away, yelling "Goodbye!"

Izumi smirked, putting down a king. "Within one month, she decided she was completely and totally in love with me." Hikaru nodded, then flipped her last card, a 9. "Gods fucking dammit!" She picked up the pile.

Akito put down an 8. "What story were you going to tell, Itsuki?" Gai groaned as he put down three 2s and flipping over a 6. "Itsuki, why do you keep telling embarrassing stories about ME?"

Itsuki flipped a card, and put her 8 on Ryoko's 6. "Because. There are a lot more interesting funny stories about you than me. I was a normal child. You were a fucked-up one." Gai glared at the musician. "Just because I was obsessed with anime-"

"Break it up!" yelled Izumi, dropping a 10 and taking the pile away. "Goodbye. Gai-san, just like Itsuki tell the damn story, okay? God knows I was a weird-ass kid too."

Itsuki stuck her tongue out at Gai as Hikaru put down her 9. Gai shuddered. "Did you know I'm stilling having nightmares about that?" Itsuki realized what he was talking about, her eyes widening. Jun scooted over behind Hikaru and Izumi, looking over their shoulders. Akito flipped over a four, and, picking up the pile, gave Gai a weird look. "Nightmares about what?" Gai and Itsuki shook their heads violently. Gai flipped a card, getting a 9. "Never mind, 'Kito-chan…"

Ryoko glared at him, picking up the 9. "What? Is that part so embarrassing that neither of you want to talk about it?" Itsuki flipped over a 4. "It's a long story, Ryoko."

"So? Speak! We got lots of time to kill… It's only 8:15… damn, time flies… out the window… into a tree…" Hikaru whacked Izumi on the head. "Ow! What was that for?" Hikaru pointed at Itsuki's 4. "Go already!" Izumi flipped over an ace, grumbling. Hikaru gave a pitiful whine, picking up the pile.

Gai shook his head again as Akito took his turn. "It's a long story… for another day." He flipped his last card and placed the 6 on Akito's 4. "I'm in second."

Itsuki waved him away. "Now, back to the story I was going to tell…" Ryoko put down a 9. "Talent show for fourth grade. Jiro was going to do the traditional ventriloquist act." People started laughing already. Itsuki placed a finger on her lips and flipped her last card. "Queen of Hearts. I'm third. Anyway, he gets up on stage, right? He sits on the little stool, opens his mouth… And he screams at the top of his lungs, 'I want my Ma-mi!'" giggled Itsuki, pronouncing the word "Mommy" the way a child who didn't know much English would. "The people in the audience started whispering, 'Who's Ma-mi?' Oh my god, it was so hilarious." A few of the pilots giggled, but not many. A few, such as Akito and Ryoko, now had things on their minds. 'What story will they not tell us?' contemplated the Martian. Ryoko thought to herself, 'They must have had something between them that they don't want people here to know.'

Izumi flipped over a 4, and picked up the pile. She didn't yell anything though. Hikaru just calmly put down her own 4. Gai must have noticed how everyone was suddenly silent, for he poked her in the arm. "Hey, otaku-girl. I'm bored, so I'm gonna dig through your cubby." Hikaru shrugged. "I will not be discriminated against for anything I own." Gai scoffed. "I'm the discriminatee, not the discriminator." He climbed up the ladder.

Akito glared at Jun. "Hey, 'I'm a newbie, but I finish first'-san, get your ass over here and help me." Jun stood up, brushing dust off his pants, and sat down in his old spot. Akito looked at his cards. "Okay… maybe I don't need your help." Jun shrugged. Hikaru kicked him as Akito put down a 9. "Say something, dammit!"

Jun looked at her, a little frightened. "Um… Triangles have three corners?" Ryoko shook her head. "Heh… Jun's been watching a bit too much Sesame Street…" She picked up the pile, starting to not care anymore.

Itsuki moved closer to Ryoko as Izumi put down a pair of 4s. Hikaru pointed at Ryoko, a bit shocked. "Oh my god! I loved Sesame Street! It was all about Grover!" She put down a king. Akito secluded himself from this conversation, stating, "We never got that on Mars…" He flipped his last card, "Dammit!" and picked up the pile, which now included his 5.

Ryoko shook her head again. "No… It was all about Bert and Ernie." She dropped a pair of 3s. Izumi shook her head. "I liked Big Bird. Anyway, Bert and Ernie suck. Bert seemed to always have stick up his ass, and Ernie was having some kind of affair with his duck-toy." Hikaru put down her last card, an ace, on Izumi's 6. "Fourth place! I heard somewhere that Bert and Ernie were gay. No offense, Gai-chan, Akito-chan!" she yelled. "None taken," replied the named Earthling, apparently reading one of the doujinshi's Hikaru had created. Akito's eyebrows furrowed together. "That just reminds me of a show we did have on Mars… There was a green thing with a dick on his head." He picked up the pile. Izumi's jaw dropped as Ryoko put down a pair of 4s. "I used to watch Teletubbies all the time! The one with the dick on his head was Dipsey!" exclaimed she, putting down a 9. One of Hikaru's red eyebrows went up. "I'm so not going to ask." She climbed up her ladder, trying to find out which doujinshi Gai was reading. Akito nodded. "And the purple one had some kind of obsession with his purse! And it wasn't a bag, it was a purse!" He put down a king. Ryoko made a face. Picking up the pile, she commented, "I hated Teletubbies. It was so dumb, and that baby in the sun was frightening." Itsuki smiled. "I bet not as frightening as Furbies."

Hikaru looked down from her bunk as Gai started climbing down, still reading. "They really should have just had a Furby-burning rally two hundred years ago. They were really creepy."

Gai closed the book and threw it at Hikaru's back. "Oi! Why are you all talking about two-hundred year-old things?" Hikaru glared at the ex-Gekiganger fan. "I happen to adore two-hundred year-old culture! I find it funny how stupid people used to be." She smiled.

Izumi put down a queen. "It's hilarious how stupid people can be in this day and age. Such as the cow over here." She jerked her thumb at Ryoko, who picked up both Izumi's queen and Akito's ace.

"Oh, shut the hell up, Izumi-chan. Just because I got addicted to gum…" Izumi flipped her last card, a 9. "Fifth place! That doesn't give you any excuse to throw up on the table at lunch." Akito gave her an angry, but confused, look. "Nani? What does gum and vomiting have to do with each other?"

Jun actually said something, being quiet for the last ten minutes. "If you swallow a lot of gum in a day, you can get a big stomach ache." Everyone just kind of looked at him. "Um, never mind…"

Ryoko sighed, putting down a pair of 4s. "Aoi-kun hit the nail on the head. I used to chew gum constantly. But I always got caught in class, see? But I discovered that if I swallowed my gum when they accused me of having it, I never got detention. I did this for, like, a week. One day, I ended up doing it, like, four times before lunch, right? I felt really sick. I tried to eat my broccoli, yes, I remember it was broccoli because that's what I saw come up first. Anyway, I tried to eat it and I threw up all over our table." Itsuki smiled and shook her head. "Ryoko-chan no baka."

Akito put down two more 4s. "Goodbye… The only time I vomited in an interesting place was… well… my first kiss." That got a reaction that he didn't expect. Gai's eyebrows went up. "You threw up after kissing Meg?" Hikaru shook her head. "No, I would have known about that if that was it. Was it someone else, Akito-chan?" Izumi snickered. "I bet it was on Mars. Akito doesn't want us to know, but he had a secret affair with Yurika while on Mars, and he threw up the first time he kissed her." Jun looked at the Martian. "If that's true, I swear to god-" Itsuki cut him off. "I bet he had a secret affair with someone else, and threw up after kissing them!" Ryoko put down her pair of 9s. "I bet you it was his mom."

Akito yelled, "Will you all shut up?!?" It got horrendously quiet as he put down another 9. "No, it was not with Meg. Yes, it was someone else. Yes, it was on Mars. No, I did not have a secret affair with Yurika. The last time I saw her on Mars was when I was 8 and she was 10. I did not have an affair with someone else on Mars. My mom died when I was 8, Ryoko, and that probably would make me throw up. Are you done now?" They all shook their heads. "Not until you tell us the story, Akito!" exclaimed Hikaru, grinning her ass off.

Akito sighed as Ryoko put down a queen. "Dammit…" He picked up the pile. "Well, my mom and dad were fighting again… So I went outside and wanted to cry. Shut up! Don't even open your mouth, Itsuki. Anyway, who comes to bug me but little miss Yurika herself, seeing me outside for once. By the way, remember that I was 7, and she was 9, so it was about a year before… the things happened. Anyway, she started asking me what was wrong, and I told her to go away. But she didn't listen, of course. She sits in front of me and says she has a magic trick to turn me back to normal. I stupidly believed her and closed my eyes. Next thing I know, I'm being kissed!" Ryoko laughed at Akito's disgusted look as she put down a king. Akito sighed and picked it up. "Then, after she pulls away, I look down… and throw up, all over her dress." The pilots, except Jun, started giggling, imagining a short Yurika in a random dress, getting vomited on by a short Akito.

Ryoko threw down her last card, an ace. "Sixth place! Akito's the Idiot!" Akito grumbled, then threw down his hand. He flipped his last card and it ended up being a 4 of diamonds.

Hikaru giggled. "That was really weird. One newbie wins, and the other lost." She shrugged. "All I can say is that I'm really thirsty."

Itsuki stood up, brushing the dust off her uniform. Jun looked at his watch. "It's 9:00 now. Lunch isn't for another two hours." Akito rolled his eyes. "Duh, Jun. I think me, the cook, knows when lunch starts." Jun looked down, a little embarrassed. "Gomen ne…" Gai whacked Jun on the arm. "Baka, he's just messing with you!" Akito nodded, feeling a little bad about teasing Jun. Hikaru smiled as she latched onto Jun's arm. "You gotta get used to being teased, if you hang with our crowd! And trust me Junny," Dark brown met dark blue, "we can be your best friends if you want us to." A silent message was heard by all present. 'We are all different, and a little crazy, but each and every one of us has problems. We're willing to listen to yours.' She let go and hit the spot she was holding. "Besides! Someone needs to sit in Akito-chan's spot at lunch!" Jun blinked. 'How can she just go from deep and thoughtful to happy and teasing?'

Ryoko reached into Itsuki's carrying case pinned to her uniform. "Oh, are we getting a bit feisty, Ryoko-chan?" asked Itsuki with an indecent smile. Ryoko pulled out Itsuki's Nergal paycard. "Vending machine sodas on Itsuki!" Ryoko gave her own indecent smile to the musician, shocked at the elaborateness of the act.

Hikaru jumped up, her arms stretched into the air. "Great! Itsuki's gonna pay for our sodas!" Izumi placed a hand on Hikaru's head. "Calm down, woman."

~*~

What could only be described as a small herd of pilots walked to lunch two hours later, after playing another round of Idiot. Hikaru skipped ahead, determined to save their table, and Gai started walking backwards and talking to them. After a few seconds of silence, however, Itsuki groaned. "So, what? Hikaru leaves the room and everyone has nothing to talk about? The fuck's with that?!" Ryoko scratched her face. "Well, we could always gossip about weird shit the rest of the crew does and stuff…" Izumi nodded. "You know what? I heard Meg likes to watch talk shows." The other three girls gave her a weird look. Akito was confused, once again. "What's wrong with talk shows?"

Itsuki shook her head. "Nothing. But when you act them out, scene-by-scene, in the bathhouse, you seriously want to shoot every talk show host that ever lived." Izumi nodded. Gai shrugged. "I've heard better shit."

Jun nodded, and stated, whispering more to himself than anyone else, "I heard that Prospector really wants Hory-san." Five pilots looked at him, confused, shocked, and disturbed looks on their faces. "OH my GOD! That's just CREEPY!" yelled Ryoko, shuddering a bit. Itsuki wrapped an arm around her. "Oh, Ryoko, are you cold?" Ryoko growled in her throat. "Hands off, Itsuki." Itsuki gave a pout. "Spoilsport."

Gai stopped walking. He was walking in front of Akito, but the Martian didn't notice he'd stopped until he ran right into him. It was just a little, planned-out bump, since it caused Gai to start kissing Akito right in the hallway. The other four pilots turned around.

"Jesus freaking Christ, you guys need to go to your room!" yelled Itsuki. Gai looked over his shoulder at his childhood friend. "You're lucky I waited this long!" Akito looked over Gai's shoulder and gave a little smile.

Ryoko shook her head and started walking ahead. "Sometimes I wonder why I ever decided to become a pilot…" Itsuki caught up with her. "How come?" Ryoko shook her head, her voice growing fainter as they walked farther away. "I never would have become a pilot if this is where it would get me…"

Izumi glanced at Jun, who seemed to be feeling very uncomfortable. She jerked a thumb at the two kissing pilots. "It's enough to make you lonely, isn't it?" Jun discovered after a moment that she was addressing him. "Huh? Oh… Sort of." He plopped on the floor and looked at the metal smoothness, the coldness of it making him feel uneasy. Izumi crouched down next to him. "I guess I'm lucky. At least the person I want knows I want them. I can't give any words of comforting support in this situation you're in." She stood. "Ryoko came back from Earth after Rinji died in his accident. She didn't know why I was suicidal, but she always seemed to be the one to find me. When Ken died, Hikaru was the one who helped me, and she knew how. Ryoko did not, but she tried." She smiled at the Executive officer. "I'm not good to talk to, but I know people who've been in you're situation. But, if you really want help, you should talk to Hikaru." Jun stood up, astounded by the quiet pilot's words. 'She really is wise beyond her years.' Izumi started to walk off, yelling at the other two guys to break it up and hurry up, if they wanted to get to lunch on time. 'They all are. They all seem to be hiding behind their own acts, but I'm the obvious one. Maybe that's why I feel uncomfortable around them? Or maybe… I wish I could deal with their pain the same way.' Izumi yelled to him next. He ran up to them, walked beside them, no, with them. 'Maybe they really are my friends.'

TBC…

~*~

A/N: Yeah yeah, I know, Jun-centric, bite me, okay? This was going to be much longer, but I was getting so sick and tired of this chapter, I decided to end it when they were going to lunch. I was also running out of things for them to talk about. Anyway, how'd you like this fun chapter? Was it… fun? ^^ Yeah, okay, that's all. Anyway, in the next chapter, we may have to divide it up, dude. It's going to be the confusing memory episode, and we're going to do characterization and the pasts of many of our favorite little pilots! Not to mention trying to keep things in order, changing some personalities, making certain ghosts, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera. Anyway, as always, Review please! ^^ 


	14. Trust lost in the heat of the moment...

A/N: Like Chapter 12, this chapter has been stewing in my brain for a long time. Unlike chapter 12, it's not completely and totally thought out and planned. Oh well. Welp, this is the chapter for episode 21, "The Meadows we once ran across" which happens to be my favorite episode, but yeah. This is rather difficult to describe… We get to see… many pilots'… past things… I'm trying not to reveal stuff already. This is not a fun chapter, so don't even think it. There is no breakfast scene either. Trust me, there won't be room for one. Anyway, just for a news thing, as we're winding down near the end of the anime, this book is almost over. Just about four or five chapters left (Thank god). Don't worry though. There will be way too many loose ends to take care of, that I would probably be shot if I didn't continue it. But… yeah… this chapter… is the turning point. Really, it is. Now, as you've all been completely drained of your life force, here's the playlist… "Suteki Da Ne" from Final Fantasy X, "Silence Must be Heard" by Enigma, "Feel the Evil" by Kim Justice, "Last Impression" by Two-Mix, "Silence" by Delerium and Sarah McLachlan, and "The Round Handball Song" and "Eternal Miyu" from Vampire Princess Miyu. Here goes nothing…

~*~

(T-Minus 80 minutes)

Mr. Hory read through his schedule, a little unnerved that he had to explain the mission before them. He cleared his throat to have quiet, simmering the dull roar to a slight murmur, coming mostly from a redhead pilot to a blue-haired one. He pushed some buttons on the console, making the screen behind him show a figure of the moon. He began to brief the crew of the task. "We're to aid the Second Lunar Fleet against the Jovian forces. If we can distract them and wipe them out, Luna will be again under our control."

Ryoko, sitting in front with Akito, raised a hand slightly in question. "How are we going to take out an entire fleet? I mean, if our distortion fields can't deflect the Boson Cannon, what's our strategy? What're we gonna hit them with?" The tomboy somehow voiced the thoughts of all the pilots, as if she was almost reading their minds. Itsuki smiled slightly. 'That's why she's basically in charge of our force.'

Miss Fressange stood from her seat next the Captain. "Our PT Cannon," she answered simply, as if it were completely obvious. Most of the crew cried out in surprise in confusion, "PT Cannon?"

Uribatake jumped up from his seat next to her. "That's right! The Y-Unit gives us three Phase Transition engines and-" Inez pushed down his head and pushed him out of the way. No one took her explaining job and got away with it. "We can use the Y-Unit to create two simultaneous folds space. This would cause space to collapse upon itself."

Yurika stood up this time, looking a bit worried. "The only problem is, we have to make sure we're at the intercept point and ready to fire the PT Cannon in less than 80 minutes!" Her statement emphasized haste, and it was not lost on the crew, as they began shuffling out of the cafeteria immediately to prepare.

Akito ran up to Gai and almost started to grab his hand when Erina ran up to him. "Akito-kun, stay behind. I need to talk to you." The Martian gave an apologetic look to his significant other, which was answered with a shrug. Akito sighed. "What is it, Erina?"

Inez had sat back down, apparently not fazed by the call for hurry from Yurika. "The only known Boson Jump fields are those created by Black Holes and Nebulas. As there are neither of those within our solar system, we have to resort to making temporary, artificial fields." Akito raised an eyebrow. "And this has to do with me…"

"We're going to conduct an artificial boson jump test. To see if you can jump yourself and an Aestivalis," answered Erina. Akito's eyes widened. "An artificial boson jump test…" he whispered. Erina nodded. "We can create a jump field using Chulip Crystals. And all we need is-"

"Someone to survive the jump itself," finished Akatsuki, standing by the door. He looked at the black-haired woman he called his cousin. "I'd like to be part of this test as well." Erina opened her mouth to protest, but Akatsuki silenced her with a look. "We're doing it, whether you agree or not."

Erina sighed. "Fine. As we get closer to the fleet, they'll be trying to fire they're Boson Cannons. We will jump you to get them disabled as soon as we're in range."

~*~

(T-Minus ?? minutes)

Akito, Yurika, Inez, Gai, Itsuki, Hikaru, Ryoko, Izumi, Akatsuki, Jun, and Ruri found themselves all seated around a red-clothed table in a dim room. In front of them, many mahjong tiles stood in lines. Nobody knew what was going on, but none acted as though this was true.

Yurika picked up a tile, and looked at it questioningly. It was green, but the shade kept changing. "What is this? A mahjong tile?" Ruri answered Yurika, as if she knew what this place was. "It's also a memory."

Just as Ruri said that, the tile in Yurika's hand flashed silver, then showed a little video of Akito and Yurika riding a bicycle through an Earth meadow. Yurika's green eyes narrowed. 'Memory? Did this even happen?'

~*~

(T-Minus 54 minutes)

The silver haired girl reported the advance of the Onihana to the crew. "Two Gekigan-types approaching!" she cried, sounding a bit worried.

7 of 8 pilots had already deployed, and were advancing to engage fighting with the Jovian robots. Unfortunately, they Boson Jumped right past the Aestivalises. The tomboy cried out, turning her robot, "We missed them!"

Indeed they did. They Jumped all the way to the edge of the Nadesico distortion field, and started their attempts to neutralize it. The princess of Peaceland proclaimed, in a hurried voice, "The Gekiganger-types are compromising the integrity of our distortion field!" Mr. Prospector shook his head. "Ever since these Gekiganger-types appeared, the capabilities of our distortion field have been severely lowered."

The Martian cook's face appeared. "Stop calling them Gekiganger-types, dammit!" he yelled as he and the green haired pilot reached the two Daimajins were using their field lances. The cook used the lance, then his missiles to disable the unit while the tomboy used just her lance. "It looks as though your back is your weak spot…" she said rather softly.

Erina's face appear before the cook. "It's time now."

~*~

(T-Minus 45 minutes)

Pockets of Chulip Crystals open around the Martian's Aestivalis. Erina was talking to him, telling him how it should all go as the artificial field stabilized. "It's imperative that your mind be clear of all things while doing this. If one stray thought comes about-" She was interrupted by the captain, looking unconfident. "If you're having second thoughts, then we'll stop!"

Erina looked at her watch. 'The Onihana must be closing in to fire the Boson Cannon as we speak.' "Let's go, get ready Akito." He stiffened his shoulders and gritted his teeth. "All right!" Erina nodded. "Think of the enemy battleship! The cannon!"

Light blue lines started to form on the cook's face as the field started to shudder. The next thing he knew, he was surrounded by colorless and colorful space, then he was back in normal space again, in front of the Onihana.

"I did it!" he gruffly announced, opening a hole in the distortion field of the Onihana, then fired his missiles at the cannon, completely destroy the fatal weapon.

Tsukuomi Genichiro nearly fell down from the impact. "Damn the evil Earthlings, destroying our precious Leap Cannon!" He shook his head, and gave an order. "Prepare the Daimajin! I go to fight!" He had just turned to head for the Leap Chamber as the face of his best friend, Shiratori Tsukumo, appeared on the main screen. "Hold it Genichiro! Pull back your forces!"

Genichiro turned back and growled, "But Tsukumo, we can't just let them go like this!" Tsukumo didn't change his look. "That was an order!"

Genichiro sighed. "Do as he says."

~*~

(T-Minus ?? minutes)

Yurika surveyed what tiles she had before her. There seemed to be at least three for each person present, except for Akito. 'No! I wanted to see why he's acting different… maybe someone else has some of his.' "Why is Akito acting so different?" Akito's eyebrows shot up, but before he could open his mouth, Inez started answering the question.

"Every boy dreams of becoming a hero. In Akito, these dreams were much more intense, but he hid them away within himself. The question is why…"

Akito shook his head. "My parents were heroes and then… they were murdered." Akatsuki's eyes twitched, and they seemed to be putting two and two together. Akito continued, nevertheless. "I thought that if someone was a hero, they end up getting killed." He glanced at Gai, a few seats away. "I discovered… almost two full years ago… that I'm afraid of getting killed."

Inez nodded. "So you insist you are just a cook, and not a hero, so you won't get killed. Being the first Earth-aligned human to successfully Boson Jump, you're already a hero." Akito stood up, glaring at Inez. "Stop looking at my memory tiles!"

Inez smiled. "It's not to when they're right there in front of you." She picked up another Akito tile and made a motion towards the other tiles. "Look at them. They're just begging to be examined and explained." The tile in her hand flashed a mixture of light blue and dark green. The video before her showed Akito, 12 years old, going into yet another foster home, looking completely detached.

Yurika looked over Inez's shoulder, in attempts to see the video, but her attention was brought to the tiles in front of her. 'Holy god! Inez has all the Akito tiles!'

Akito sat back down, looking defeated. "I'm no hero…" he whispered.

~*~

(T-Minus 43 minutes)

The amber-eyed hacker sighed in relief. "Tenkawa Akito has successfully Boson Jumped. The Onihana's Boson Cannon has been destroyed and they are now pulling out." The captain and Mr. Prospector also sighed, happy that it worked.

The longhaired pilot's face appeared next. "My turn, Erina." His cousin shook her head. "Not yet…"

He glared at her. "Come on! I can do anything that punk can…" He focused on the enemy ship as the field began to stabilize, then shudder. He pushed as hard as he could, little dark green lines forming on his face.

Erina saw his Aestivalis start to pull apart from itself, the sign that it was moments before the robot would jump, but the cockpit would collapse. She rushed to the abort button and pushed it with all her strength.

The jump field dissipated, having gone back into the Chulip Crystals floating in the endless space. The longhaired pilot was breathing heavy. "What happened…" he asked, his eyes widening a bit as soon as Erina's window popped up.

"I knew it wasn't going to work so I aborted your jump attempt!" The black-haired pilot glared at her. "But why?" Erina glared back. "But why? Look at yourself!" He looked down to find that his flight suit had been melting, sticking him to the leather seat.

He collapsed onto his controls, his shoulders shuddering. "Dammit… Why can't I Jump? Oniisan…"

~*~

(T-Minus ?? minutes)

Inez picked up a tile of a man with short black hair, looking similar to Akatsuki. She announced what she saw. "Your brother was so much older than you, wasn't he? Eight years? Your father was grooming him to be his successor…" Akatsuki wasn't fazed by Inez's words. "What's that got to do with anything?"

Inez shoot him an angry, yet piteous look. "He died." Akatsuki gave the details. "He died on a shuttle accident on his way back from Mars." Izumi looked down. 'Rinji died the same way… Wait, what am I talking about.' She looked up again. "He never made it to Satsuki Midori."

Akatsuki's jaw dropped. "You! You're the woman he was going out of his way to see, his fiancée?" Izumi nodded slowly. Akatsuki snarled at her. "It's your entire fault he died-" He was silenced when Hikaru got up and cuffed him in the back of the head. He turned to her as she started to scold him.

"It was an accident, Akatsuki-san! It's not your fault or her fault! It's no one's fault!" Akatsuki stood too, towering over her. He pointed towards Izumi. "He wouldn't have been on that shuttle had he not been on his way to that colony, going to see his would-be future wife because she was feeling lonely!" Izumi pounded a fist on the table. "You think I don't know that?!?" she screamed, no strange smile hiding her emotions now. Self-hatred and a sense of eternal mourning swam in her crimson eyes. Akito, though frightened by the emotions finally conveyed by Izumi, stood up and silently pushed people back into their chairs. "Miss Fressange, I don't think we should do this anymore."

Inez smiled before picking up an Akito tile. "If you can find out how to get out of here, tell me then." Akito realized she meant that they would stop, but they were in a bit of a predicament.

~*~

(T-Minus 40 minutes)

Shiratori Tsukumo bowed before addressing his superior, Kusakabe Haruki. "Isn't our goal a stable and lasting peace?" Kusakabe grunted an affirmative. "Exactly. That is why we fight." Tsukumo wiggled his fingers, his palms getting a little sweaty from nervousness. "Then… isn't it imperative that we at least consider a negotiated peace?" He added quickly, "Of course, the Earth government will have to apologize for their past injustices…"

Kusakabe kept facing away from the captain. "Our phase transition factory is on the verge of shutting down, and our excavations on Mars have brought no good news." He turned to Tsukumo. "Is peace possible?"

Tsukumo smiled. "I have a plan that should work, sir."

Not ten minutes later, Tsukumo was sitting and watching Gekiganger while drinking green tea. The door behind whipped open, showing an angry Genichiro.

"Damn you Tsukumo! Why did you order me to pull out?" Tsukumo answered with a curt reply, "To save your life." He was about to tell Genichiro that he must not underestimate the Nadesico when he heard another screech at the door.

"Oniichan!" He spit back into his cup and stood, turning towards the door, which now showed a somewhat frightened Genichiro and an extremely pissed off thirteen year old.

"Yukina?" Tsukumo swallowed, the naked rage sparking in her brown eyes. "Er… what're you doing here…?" She stepped forward and hissed. "I've heard what you've been doing!"

A fake-sounding scream from the TV caught Tsukumo and Genichiro's attention, and they were both sitting down before Nanako could even started her monologue. Shiratori Yukina sighed. Only three words could convey her feelings for the moment, and she said them under her breath, "Honto, baka baka." Once she was sure she could grasp their attention again, she shouted. "Oniichan!"

Tsukumo waved a finger at her. "Yukina, how could you be so disrespectful to interrupt Gekiganger?" Yukina stuck her nose in the air. "I hate that anime." She glared at her brother again before he could scold her again. "Now what's this I hear about you and some stupid peace treaty?"

Genichiro jumped on Yukina's statement before Tsukumo could attempt to explain himself. "A peace treaty, Tsukumo? How could you even suggest negotiating with those subhuman brutes?" Tsukumo yelled back at his best friend. "If peace is truly our objective that we've got to try every path!"

Yukina interrupted the fight. "That's a bunch of bull!" Tsukumo and Genichiro turned to the teenaged Jupiterian. "The real reason you're doing this is because you've fallen for an Earth woman!" She pulled down a wallscroll of Nanako to show a picture of Minato. Tsukumo gasped. Yukina screamed at her older brother. "You disgust me, Oniichan!"

~*~

(T-Minus ?? minutes)

"Somehow our memories have all become interconnected," hypothesized Inez, reaching for a Yurika tile. Yurika herself blinked at Inez's statement. "You mean this isn't all just part of a really strange dream?"

Inez shook her head, glancing at Yurika before activating the tile. "If it was a dream, we wouldn't be able to see each other's memories." The tile flashed a mixture of dark green and silver. The video made her smile. "For example… You were a bed wetter until you were ten!"

Yurika gasped. "Er… I'm not one anymore!" She laughed nervously. Ruri rolled her amber eyes. "Baka."

Ryoko's black eyebrows knit. "Then… if we're all here, Miss Fressange, who… or what… is in our bodies?" Inez glanced at Ryoko. "Other facets of our personalities, I'm afraid. The parts we normally repress."

Itsuki glanced around. "Just where are we anyway?" Ruri answer her. "We're in Limbo. Here, Time and Space are no object." Inez nodded. "This is similar to the Boson Jump tunnels, going under Time and Space, and beyond it."

Gai took a good look around now too. "Akito… is this what you see when you Boson Jump?" Akito shook his head. "No… it's not all dark… it's… well, it's hard to describe…" Jun nodded. "That makes sense. If Boson Jump tunnels are under Time and Space and beyond it, on a whole other plane, words are lost to it to, are they not?" Inez glanced at him. "You're smarter than we thought, and apparently…" She picked up a Jun tile, and it flashed red and dark green. The video showed his father pressuring him to join the United Forces. "…More than you're father thought."

Jun looked down. "My father… wanted me to die by his side in battle. In the end… he died by himself in battle."

~*~

(T-Minus 35 minutes)

The blue-haired pilot was just checking on her Aesti of the same color when she saw a flash of brown and yellow near the leg. She glanced around the leg. And went running for her exorcism ribbons.

Many mechanics, not to mention her two best friends, started to stare at her as she performed a little poem to get rid of the vision she just saw. "Spirits be gone, Spirits be gone, Never more to bother me… Spirits be gone, Spirits be gone, Halloween is over, can't you see… Spirits be gone, Spirits be gone…"

Mr. Prospector, who had just come to ask Uribatake a question about his account, saw this act by the punning pilot. He turned to Uribatake. "What's Izumi doing?" Uribatake shielded his mouth, as if telling a secret and whispered, "She says she saw a ghost."

She jumped up, waving the stick. "Spirits be gone!"

~*~

(T-Minus 34 minutes)

The tomboy was heading to the hangar vending machine, but she could have sworn there had been something gray near the machine. She shrugged, and went back to making a soda selection. She heard a sharp sound, like a squeal. She looked back to where she saw the gray. And gasped, for there stood Subaru Yukari, her long black hair framing her serene face.

The redhead was a little timid about going anywhere. Her best friend was usually not as out of it as she just acted, so she just may have seen a ghost. Sure enough, a static sound shot through the air. The artist whipped her head around, her red bangs hitting her in the face. "Okachan?"

The blue-haired pilot would have gone back to business, but she had to repeat the entire scene, swearing to have seen yet another ghost. By now people were starting to wonder if she had really lost it. 'They can't seen him… Rinji's here!'

The Executive Officer thought he was hearing things. It sounded like ringing in his ears, like a television was left on over the night, but it had a voice. "I died alone… I hope you're happy with your choice…" He slowly turned his head. "'Tosan… Stay away from me…"

The princess at the console gasped. "Admiral Munetake?" Besides her, Minato's eyebrows shot up. "You see Munetake? Are you sure?" The younger girl nodded, her worried amber eyes wide. "Other people too… but who are they?" In her vision, she saw Admiral Munetake… and a woman with long, dark hair, all dressed in red.

The captain saw Munetake and the dark-haired woman too, but she saw, in the corner, another woman, this one with short, dark blue hair. "O… O… Okachan… is… alive…" Nearby, even the doctor seemed entranced by the transparent people before them. "Juveus-sama…"

~*~

(T-Minus 30 minutes)

Ariko looked down the long corridor as one of the older mechanics crawled out of it. "Is it in there, too?" asked Uribatake over a communications window. The man nodded. Ariko turned to the window. "Uribatake-san, it's everywhere. There's no way we can get through it."

On the bridge, the silver-haired princess had an announcement.

"My assistant, Sarutahiko Omoikane, has completely shut down. At the same time, I cannot connect to the Sarutahiko itself. Also, the software diagnostics have been blocked." Nobody seemed to notice that she had just announced that Omoikane was a robot; they seemed to be worried mostly about the situation with the Yamato.

Mr. Prospector pushed up his glasses. "Is this a hardware issue? There must be a solution." An angry communications window popped up, showing Uribatake. "We're completely spooked down here! All passageways leading from the Nadesico to the Y-Unit either have high voltage running through them, or nonfunctioning gravity control!" Ariko, in the background, nodded. "It's as if Sarutahiko doesn't want to let anyone in."

Megumi looked a little worried, but not as much as the computer operator. "Will we be able to fire the PT cannon in thirty minutes?" Minato sighed. "I think today's lesson would be: 'Try not to do everything at once.'"

Mr. Hory glared at her. "I want a team sent into the Y-Unit." Mr. Prospector gave him a shocked look. "Our pilots aren't doing so well…" Mr. Hory looked at him questioningly. "Just what does that mean?"

Prospector answered, short, sweet, and to the point. "They claim to be seeing ghosts."

~*~

(T-Minus ?? minutes)

Hikaru lifted a hand in question. "Why is it that we're seeing people from our pasts, Miss Fressange?" Inez shrugged slightly. "I don't know. Perhaps it is these people, the people in our lives that died, that have given us so much trauma, and also effected our repressed personalities."

Akito turned to Gai. "I saw my dad… who did you see, Gai-chan?" Gai shook his head. "I saw my mother." He looked straight at Itsuki. "She asked me if my life with you was good." Itsuki gasped, her hands flying to her face. Yurika looked at Akito, as if seeing him for the first time. 'Is Yamada-san talking about his life with Kazamo-san? But they're only friends… Or is he talking about his like with Akito- Oh my god. Why didn't I see it before?' "Akito, why didn't you tell me you had a boyfriend!?"

This statement caught everyone's attention. Granted, everyone except Yurika knew about this development in Nadesico drama, but no one expected her to put two and two together so fast. Akito stammered. "Er… Erm… Uh… You see,-"

Yurika stood. "Akito, why couldn't you have trusted me? We were friends on Mars, don't you know you can tell me anything?" She looked at Gai. "Enough if you find someone else, I'll still care for you." She turned back to Akito. "Before all else, Akito, I want there to be friendship between us. Friendship means trust, Akito. I want you to trust me." She shook her head as he opened his mouth to say something. "Shut up, Tenkawa, let me finish. You're my oldest friend. I've known you forever. I'd like to not be lying when I can tell people I know more about you than everyone else. I don't want to be the last to know about things! I just want to be your friend. I'll still love you, but…" She walked over to Akito's chair and gave him a big hug. "I can tell when I've lost a fight." She walked back to her own chair and sat down.

Akatsuki looked at her, a bit hungrily. 'She's wide open now. There's no Akito in the way. Good luck Erina. Against me, you'll need it.'

Jun looked like he was going to burst into tears. 'That's exactly how I wanted to tell Yurika goodbye… when she would inevitably run off with Akito. And now… My god, I don't have to say goodbye to her, I have a chance again!'

Gai was looking at his tiles. He had all of his in front of him, and no one else's. He knew Itsuki had all of her tiles. He looked up and gray met dark brown. An unspoken message ran between them. 'Trust is the basis of everything, and we never trusted them to not have a heart attack. Itsuki's eyes asked Gai the same question in his mind. 'Let's tell them now?' Gai took a deep breath, and nodded slowly.

Itsuki picked up one of her tiles, the one that showed her and Gai's secret. Gai picked up the same corresponding tile. Itsuki tapped Ryoko next to her. "Ryoko." Gai got Akito's attention, and looked to Itsuki for help. She cleared her throat.

"Jiro and I have been inspired by your speech, Kanchou. So inspired. Trust should be the basis of every relationship. Trust in loyalty, trust in words, and trust… in secrecy." She nodded to Gai, who was starting to breathe rather heavily, as if his heart was in his stomach. 'This time has come.' "Akito, Ryoko… Itsuki and I believe that now is the time to show you our secret." Simultaneously, Itsuki handed Ryoko the tile and Gai handed Akito the tile. There was a large flash of silver, light orange, green, and light blue. The video played at the very same time in each tile. Ryoko and Akito had been transported to Itsuki and Gai's childhood.

A transparent, younger looking Itsuki ran into the room. "Can't catch me, Jiro no baka!" she cried. Half of Ryoko's mouth turned up. Young Gai stumbled into the room, looking very winded. "You bet I can't catch you, Itsuki-chan. I'm way too lazy." Akito smiled brightly, about to laugh at the scene.

Young Itsuki walked over to Young Gai and nudged him with her foot. "Hey, Jiro no baka, you'd better get up and back to running. I'm not gonna get married to some fat butt who sits around all day."

The video cut right then, both Ryoko and Akito pulling themselves out. Gai and Itsuki were both looking down. Itsuki started to tell the tale.

"Our families, the Kazamos and the Yamadas, were rivals. But our parents wanted the feud to end. Each family had an only child, both different genders. To end the feud, our parents'… betrothed me to Jiro, and Jiro to me. We were to be married the day after Jiro's eighteenth birthday. But… our parents were killed before then. As Jiro and I hated each other, we called it off entirely. We swore we wouldn't speak a word of it…" Gai finished her sentence for her. "But you two have a right to know."

Ryoko looked down. "I never would have thought… Why didn't you tell us before this? I know it came up. A few days ago, when we were playing cards. The 'subject for another day', that was this, wasn't it?" Itsuki nodded. "We didn't tell you… because we were scared."

"Of what?" asked Akito, staring at the cloth in front of him, his tone icy enough to freeze the room. He looked up, and straight at Gai. "What was so scary that you had to keep things from me?" He was obviously asking Gai, and no other.

Gai looked down, ashamed. "I was afraid of your reaction." Akito clenched his fists under the table. "My reaction? My REACTION?!?" He stood abruptly, his chair falling down behind him, but making no sound.

"You were scared of my reaction? Is this the reaction you were scared of? Fuck, Gai. If you told me from the get-go I wouldn't have even cared! You told me when you confessed that you loved me that things should not be kept secret! If you believed that then, why didn't you tell me? Scared of my fucking reaction. Didn't you even LISTEN to everything Yurika just said? Trust is the basis of everything! There has to be friendship before a relationship! You were my fucking BEST FRIEND and you through it away because you were scared of my goddamn fucking reaction! Best friends don't keep things like this from each other! Do you think I'd just go on forever never learning all the details of your past?" Akito's breathing started to shudder. "No, just… don't answer that. Just… don't talk to me. I don't want to even see your fucking face right now."

Gai shook his head and stood, finally, after his outburst. "I don't care if you want to pretend I don't exist. Just be like all this other assholes on the ship you keep yelling at. Pretend that Yamada Jiro never came on the ship, never nearly died. Go ahead, worry about frivolous stuff like when you get a promotion, a raise, or a girlfriend. Think about only the fun things; don't even dare to face the facts of life. Trust takes long to stabilize, Akito."

Akito glared at him. "And it's very easily broken."

Everyone was silent for a minute or two before Ryoko broke the silence, speaking to Itsuki calmly. "Itsuki. I may not be happy about the turn of events, or the long amount of time it took you to reveal this to me, but…" She took a deep breath. "Trust does take long to stabilize, and we weren't friends at all when you started flirting with me. I'm… honored that you trust me with this tidbit of information." Itsuki smiled, another real smile, a smile that was starting to be reserved only for Ryoko. She wrapped an arm around Ryoko. "I'm glad that the revealing of secrets unknown hasn't ruined our relationship," whispered Itsuki in Ryoko's ear. Ryoko blushed slightly.

Yurika kept her eyes on the table. 'I was just telling Akito I didn't care who he was with… and then he basically breaks up with his boyfriend right in front of me… what am I suppose to think now? I feel… wrong to think that it's a good thing, that I have a chance now…'

~*~

(T-Minus 20 minutes)

Uribatake finished fastening the new rubber tires to the eight bicycles and installing the gyros. "All right, we're all set." He turned to the eight pilots. The longhaired pilot looked a little scared. "Are you sure this is going to be safe?"

Uribatake gestured towards the bicycles behind him. "I installed rubber tires for when you go through the passages with high voltage, and gyros for if you run into lack of nonfunctioning gravity."

Mr. Hory looked over the teams, wondering just how he got into the mess. "We need to have the PT Cannon back online by the time we reach the intercept point. The entire mission is in jeopardy."

The Martian gaze a thumbs-up. "Right! Let's all go kick some ass! Akatsuki, Izumi, and Itsuki with me! Jun, you're with those girls left over!" He glared at his now former boyfriend, who grabbed his bike. "Let's get it done and over with, Aoi!"

The Executive Officer grabbed some guns as the Martian's team headed out. "All right, everyone! We're going to go the opposite way!"

~*~

(T-Minus 18 minutes)

The cook shouted, a strange smile on his face. "Well, I never thought I'd be leading an attack on a BICYCLE! Come on, pump those pedals!" The punster giggled. "I wish you pumping something besides those pedals…" The musician had a blank look as she hung in the back of the team. "What does that mean?"

The longhaired pilot was even with the Martian. "Hey hey, wanna have a race? The first person to reach the Y-Unit first gets to claim a prize from the loser, okay, okay?" The Martian guffawed. "Why the hell not, I could use a laugh! But what if there's a tie?" The blue haired pilot straightened herself. "There's enough of me to go around, you know." The lesbian cocked her head. "Enough of what? Are they going to eat you Izumi?" The now-perverted pilot snickered. "We can hope, dear Itsuki-chan."

The longhaired pilot and the Martian were still talking about their race. "If I win, I get to have the captain!" cried the older man, then he started riding off. The Martian yelled after him. "Hey! She's not mine to give away anyway, you little weenie! Hey! Get back here!"

The red-eyed pilot was left behind with the purple-haired pilot. "Men sure have strange tastes," she stated simply.

On the bridge, Megumi and Minato, in unison, cried, "You can sure say that again!" Above them Erina sighed. "This is completely inappropriate." Two window popped up, showing the two best friends, Minato and Megumi. "I think someone's jealous!" they replied in singsong. Erina was indignant. "I am not! I am just stating my professional opinion on the matter!"

Minato closed her window. "What I'm worried about is how their personalities seem to be changing." Erina heard her, nonetheless. "That is a point. Akito-kun seems much more assertive than usual."

~*~

(T-Minus 15 minutes)

The now-submissive tomboy glanced at the Executive Officer, who was surveying the locked door before them. "I don't think we should be doing this but I guess we have to!" She sounded very afraid. Her redhead best friend, however, was completely silent, holding her gun loosely.

The ex-otaku pointed his own gun at the blue-haired XO. "Get on with it, Aoi!" He nodded, a crazy smile forming on his face. "Don't worry, I've got it!" He raised his rifle at the door made it eat lead. The tomboy screamed, fell down, and covered her ears as the blue-haired pilot laughed maniacally. "All right! Get on your bicycles, everyone! There's a million obstacles ahead, and I just can't WAIT for an excuse to BLOW THEM ALL AWAY!" He continued laughing insanely as he hopped onto his bicycle.

~*~

(T-Minus 10 minutes)

The Martian continuously shouted motivational things to his group. "Keep pedaling! We're almost there!" The longhaired pilot pointed at the ceiling about ten feet in front of them. "Lookie, lookie! It's the hatch to the Y-Unit!" The blue and brown haired pilots screeched the brakes on their bikes, the longhaired pilot and the lesbian slowing theirs first. The Martian made a boost for the punster, who giggled about him having full view of her crotch before opening the hatch and climbing up.

The cook gave the musician a boost next, then the longhaired pilot pushed him up there. The blue-haired pilot pulled him up last, and they walked down the corridor, rifles cocked and ready to shoot anything that seemed out of the ordinary.

~*~

(T-Minus 8 minutes)

Nagare gasped. Before him stood Akatsuki Rinji, his older, and deceased, brother. "Oniisan. Why…? I thought you were dead…" Izumi looked up, remember that his brother and her second fiancée were one and the same. "It's not possible for you to be here!" She turned her attention to straight in front of her. "No… it can't be…"

Akito stared into the area in front of him, afraid of the vision he saw. "Otosan… you're dead…" Itsuki didn't looked afraid, or surprised at who she saw. "Nana-chan. Nice to see you again."

On the bridge, the crew saw that they were standing in the middle of a hall, but just standing there, not doing anything. Mr. Hory's eyebrows knit. "Why are they just standing there?"

Megumi tried to make a communications window appear in there, but Sarutahiko wouldn't let it. She tried to make a speaker-call. "Pilots Tenkawa, Izumi, and Akatsuki! Why aren't you responding to our communications? Hello? What're you doing?" There was no response.

Mr. Hory sighed. Apparently, that team was hopeless. "I'm afraid to ask about the other team." A communications window popped up, showing Jun laughing maniacally, pointing his rifle down the hall as he pedaled. "Ahahahahaaa! I love to shoot things!" Gai was in the back, keeping his own gun on Jun. "Pedal faster, Aoi!" Ryoko screamed. "Somebody HELP ME!" Hikaru was completely quiet about the whole scene.

Mr. Hory pushed the window away. Mr. Prospector shook his head. "I wonder why they're all acting strange."

Megumi turned to the level above hers. "And Miss Fressange isn't here to explain everything." She opened a communications window to Inez's room. She sat, smiling childishly, and eating an orange.

Back in the Y-Unit, Akito swallowed, then took a step forward to confront his father. "Otosan… I'm a failure." Tenkawa Oniji glared at his son. "You certainly are," whispered he, and Akito seemed paralyzed in place.

Akito started breathing heavily. "Why are you stopping us from reaching the Y-Unit, Otosan?" Oniji just stood, glaring at his lost cause of a son.

~*~

(T-Minus ?? minutes)

"They aren't stopping you at all." Ruri attempted to explain why Akito seemed frozen. "What you are seeing are just memories of the deceased who have contributed to, and are so attached, to the repressed parts of your personalities."

Akito looked at the young girl. "What does that mean…"

Ruri closed her amber eyes. "In short, it is yourself who holds you back."

~*~

(T-Minus 5 minutes)

Itsuki smiled at the ghost of her nanny, Dazai Nana. "Nana-chan, I've missed you so much." Nana nodded, her brown hair swaying slightly. "You've grown to be such a beautiful girl. So talented." Itsuki nodded slowly. "Thank you, Nana-chan… won't you come back to me?"

Nagare glared at Rinji. "When will you stop dictating my life? When will you finally leave me in peace?" Rinji stepped forward, and Nagare stepped back, murmuring, "I'm not afraid, not anymore." Rinji smiled. "It wasn't me, Nagare. I never would have wished this on you. I'm sorry." He glanced at Izumi. "Do not blame her for my death. It was simply fate that brought me to my destiny."

~*~

(T-Minus ?? minutes)

Ryoko picked up an Izumi tile. In a flash of blue and green, Ryoko saw an attractive young man, with brown hair that just barely fell in his eyes. "Hey, Izumi, who is this a picture of?"

Hikaru looked over Ryoko's shoulder and gasped. "It's Ken! One of your fiancées! He… he died of space pneumonia…" She looked at her very best friend, scared of what these dug-up memories would do.

Izumi kept her crimson eyes closed. "I had two fiancées. One lost to disease. The other to an accident." She crossed her arms on the table, and hid her face on them. "Everyone who's ever been close to me has died." Hikaru rubbed her best friend's back, giving her a hug to console her.

~*~

(T-Minus 4 minutes)

Neither smile, nor any sign of happiness was on Izumi's face as she confronted her first fiancée, Hosokawa Ken. "Please tell me the time has come to join you." She looked down. "It's all right. There's nothing to keep me here." She took some slow steps toward the ghost, and wrapped her arms around him, trying to collapse into his arms, and give herself to dearth, as she had tried many times after his death. He disappeared from her vision, just as he disappeared from her life. Sheer pain took over her expression as she fell to her knees, hugging only thin air. "No…" She looked up at the ceiling. "Please don't abandon me Ken!" She started to sob. "Please…" She wrapped her arms around herself.

~*~

(T-Minus ?? minutes)

"For Itsuki, Izumi, and Akatsuki, it isn't death they fear. It's the loss and separation that comes with it. For Akito, however, the fear is much more direct." Inez stared hard at him. "You still haven't come to terms with the death of your parents." Akito glared at Inez. "But I'm not afraid of dying! I'm not!"

~*~

(T-Minus 3 minutes)

"Bullshit." One word left Oniji's lips, and Akito's eyes widened, then he looked at the floor. "I'm not afraid of dying… I'm afraid of being killed. But, even though I'm afraid, I keep fighting…" He looked him father in the face, glaring at him back. "I never give up when it's important!"

Oniji's crossed his arms. "You've always been so arrogant. You haven't changed a bit. There's no reason for anything, Akito. Only excuses."

~*~

(T-Minus 2 minutes)

The princess, still very worried, rushed to say, "The Nadesico has reached the Intercept point!" Mr. Hory glanced at her computer operator. "Is the Y-Unit online?"

~*~

(T-Minus 1 minute)

Akito forced open the door to the core of the Sarutahiko. There he saw windows, no, exploited memories. Him and Yurika as children. Izumi with her fiancée Ken. Akatsuki and his brother Rinji. Itsuki and Gai as kids. Hikaru going to her parents' funeral with her grandmother. Ryoko separated from her best friends. Jun being forced into Military Academy. Ruri being adopted by a couple working for Nergal. Ai and a very regal looking woman. He looked straight ahead to see a Jovian robot.

He raised his rifle, pointing it at the mecha. "Get off our ship, you damn Jovian!" He fired.

~*~

(Zero Hour)

The Yamato extended, exposing its engines. They fired up, then shot twin blasts of energy. Akito recognized this energy's color as being like that of the Boson Jump plane: colorless and colorful. But it was much brighter. And after it dissipated, There was nothing. Absolutely nothing.

Yurika gasped. "It's destroying the fabric of space itself…" Mr. Hory was shocked too, but he said in monotone, "I've never seen anything like it." Yurika shook her head. "We can't use a weapon like this against humans." 'It's wrong… It's… just sick.'

Ruri lightened the scene a bit, not feeling as worried as she had a few minutes before. "Not if all we want to do is vaporize them."

~*~

(T-Plus 15 minutes)

Inez stood in the center of the circle of pilots, all seven of them. She had finally figured out what had occurred. She cleared her throat. "The Image Feedback System Type nanomachines in our pilots create an auxiliary brain near the base of the brain. Obviously, our little hacker crab mistook these as computer memory and hacked into them."

Ryoko interrupted for a moment. "Then how did all of our brains get stuck talkin' to each other?" Inez closed her eyes. "Through our communicators. Our personal communicators are all interconnected, and the hacker must have seen it as part of a larger network."

Itsuki had a question next. "How did the crab get into the Y-Unit?" Inez shrugged. "I don't know." Yurika raised her hand. "Oh, but you and I have never gone through Nanomachine Treatment, have we, Miss Fressange?" Inez looked down. "I can't explain that either."

Ruri didn't seem surprised. "A hacker into the Sarutahiko… Omoikane would have detected it, but he has, apparently, broken down. The crab must have known this, and cut him off the network, systematically making him shut down." He glanced at the motionless robot sitting on the floor beside her. "However, Omoikane should have restarted by now, but he hasn't. Apparently there must be something wrong with the system still." She faced Inez. "Or maybe he thinks something will happen soon that will effect him greatly."

~*~

(T-Plus 20 minutes)

Tsukumo gasped at what Kusakabe just told him. "You've already sent a peace emissary to the Nadesico?" Kusakabe nodded. "Our hacker has proven that they are still disorganized. Now would be a good time to get them to do as we wish."

Tsukumo shook his head. "But who? Who did you send to the Nadesico?" Genichiro laughed. "Oh, haven't you figured that out yet?"

Within a Boson Jump tunnel, Shiratori Yukina controlled a flitter, getting ever closer to the Nadesico. "I'll get you Earth Woman! You've deceived my brother! And for that treachery I swear you will pay!"

~*~

(T-Plus 30 minutes)

"It's over," stated Gai, simply. He glared at his ex-boyfriend. "I don't have time to deal with people like you." Akito shrugged. "I don't care. We didn't benefit from this anyway," said the Martian calmly, grabbing his few things and leaving the room.

Gai glared at the metal door, as if it was its fault all of this happened. 'You fucking bet nothing came out of it.'

In the hallway, Akito ran into Erina. Before she could say anything, Akito stated, in an icily calm voice, "I'm not going to do any more experiments, Erina." Erina's jaw dropped. "What do you mean you're not going to do any more experiments? We need you!" She shook her head. 'I'll put it into terms he can understand.' "It's just like that show you watch, Gekiganger. You're the only one who can save the blue planet earth!"

Akito turned back to the black-haired secretary. "It's not about Gekiganger anymore. This isn't a game. It's time to get serious, Erina. This is a war."

TBC…

~*~

A/N: Yeah, that was rather crappily done. Oh well. Ho ho, it seems there's not so much perfect with the Gai and Akito relationship as we thought! And what's this with Yurika? Is she maturing a bit? Erina seems to be getting a bit… obsessed with this Boson Jump thing, doesn't she? And Akito is a bit pissed at the world now. Didn't anyone else think it was strange, watching this episode, that both Izumi's fiancée and Akatsuki brother died in accidents? So, yeah, it was my idea that they were one and the same. Anyway, did you like this chapter? Should I be killed for how I did it? Review me as usual, please! Next chapter, Yukina meets the crew of the Nadesico, including Minato and stuff! I bet you can't wait! 


	15. Who can you trust...

A/N: Oh, I'm sorry, was Akito and Gai's little relationship-ending spat a surprise to some of you? I thought I forewarned about it enough with Hikaru thinking stuff… Oh well. I'm sure you're ALL wondering just WHAT Yukina's gonna do and stuff… Right. Anyway. That had no purpose. Hehehe. But yeah. Alrighty, here… ick, not much happy crapper. But you didn't expect happy crapper, did you? You did? Baka. Fine, you'll get some happy crapper. On a side note, Yukina may be actually interacting with people here! Wow! Anyway. Playlist… was VERY difficult to assemble this time, can you imagine that? ("Piro's Sadness" and "Yuki's Theme" by Kim Justice, "Yuffie's Theme", "Interrupted by Fireworks", and "You Can Hear The Cry of the Planet" by Nobou Uematsu, "Hypnotic Distortion" from Gravitation, "Sacrifice" by Amano Yuri, "Kurenai" by X-Japan, and "Fight Theme" from Bakuretsu Hunters) Anyway, let's get started, shall we?

~*~

Yurika's green eyes popped open, abruptly waking from her slight catnap as the Nadesico traveled towards Earth. She lifted her head from its perch on her hand and, blinking, surveyed all of the screens that were up. 'What was that…' She shook her head, clearing out all of the sleep angels. "Ruri? Can I get a sensor reading please?"

The silver-haired girl barely blinked before placing her hands on the console, issuing the command to run the scanners. After a few short moments, Ruri stated the results. "There appears to be nothing out of the ordinary, Kanchou."

Yurika sighed. 'But I could have sworn I felt something…' She blinked again, thinking a random thought, and deciding to implement it. "Ruri? Is it possible to scan for certain things?" Ruri turned in her seat. "What sort of things?"

"Like… Boson particles?" Ruri turned back around, wondering why the captain would care anything about Boson particles, but didn't question it. "Requesting scan in a 50 kilometer radius. Scan for Boson particles," stated the girl.

A new window popped up, but it basically said the same thing the result window of the first scan said. Nothing out of the ordinary. This didn't satisfy Yurika, however. 'As we continue to travel, I feel this pull get stronger and stronger.' "Increase range to 100 kilometers."

Ruri issued the command to the computer. It took a bit longer this time, and the Martian girl squirmed in her seat, eager to see the results. After what seemed like a long time, the computer finally beeped. A new window popped up. Ruri read what it said aloud.

"Apparently there is a small Boson Jump field stabilizing approximately 75 kilometers ahead, on the heading 20 degrees above ours." She turned back to the captain, her face expressionless, but her brain working rapidly. 'How did Kanchou know that there was a Jump field?'

Yurika blinked. 'Did I know that's what I was looking for? Well, of course I did, but how did I know?' "I want an Aestivalis to investigate, immediately."

~*~

In ten minutes, Akito's pink Aestivalis left the Nadesico and was on the way to check out what, or who, was making a Boson Jump field. The way the Aestivalis glided in the nothingness, you would think the pilot was as calm as the morning breeze.

On the contrary. The pilot happened to be trying to get a certain helmswoman to leave him the hell alone.

"Why do you keep trying to avoid it? Don't you know that you'll never amount to anything? This is the best way to be of use to mankind, and to Nergal!" Erina just didn't seem to be able to get through to the Martian numbskull from her perch on her seat on the bridge.

Akito completely ignored her, apart from saying, in complete monotone, "I'm not avoiding it, I've already dropped it." Yurika heard what he said from Erina's window. She raised her wrist and pushed in his code, opening a window to Akito. "Don't listen to her Akito! You'll always be our Number One pilot in my eyes!" She smiled widely, completely oblivious to Erina glared at her over the communications screens.

"Kanchou, shouldn't you be worrying about the Nadesico and her crew as a whole?" It seemed like Erina and Yurika's disagreement was becoming apparent, once again. Yurika closed her green eyes and raised a finger. "A crew is made up of individual members, and one must recognize the differences in people." Erina shook her head, sighing. "I know what crew member you're thinking about."

Erina and Yurika's windows seemed to be trying to phase each other out, and they were in the way of Akito's vision. He leaned to one side, trying to see past it as he yelled, "Will you two just stop it!" His attempt was futile though, because a window showing Akatsuki's face appeared right in that spot. "That's isn't anyway to speak to your captain…"

The Martian sighed. "Can't you people leave me alone?" Akatsuki started stroking his non-existent beard. "Of course, if you don't want her, I could always take her off your hands…" Yurika's face came back into view. "You won't let him do that, will you?" Erina growled at her cousin on the level below her. "This conversation is completely inappropriate for a business setting!"

Akatsuki gave Erina a knowing, yet blackmailing smile. "Do I detect a certain hint of jealousy, cousin dear?" Her black eyes widened as Hikaru and Izumi opened windows up too, both of them smiling viciously and mocking, "Hubba hubba!"

Erina blushed and shook her head. "Shut up, all of you! If you're going to-" She was caught off by Ruri's face appearing before them all. "Crash into it, head on." Akito heeded her warning and lifted his Aestivalis just in time, swinging his arm through all of the communication windows up in his cockpit and screaming "Shut up!!!"

He stopped above the vessel, and started describing it to the entire bridge. "It's a manned Jovian ship… only it's unarmed. There's a passenger too."

Yurika nodded, all business now. "Bring the ship to the landing deck, we'll take the passenger prisoner." Erina glanced at her; Yurika's tone not her familiar cheerful one at all. 'She can be as clueless as she wants, and act as dependent on Akito as she wants, but she really isn't. I wasn't lying when I said she was good at fighting, though she doesn't want to. This really is her arena. She can show her true, brilliant, tactical self in battle, as much as she hates it. That's what it is. She hates this… and loves it. She's untouchable.' Her painted lips turned up slightly. 'And that's what I like most.'

~*~

Yurika could only gasp as the mechanics, including the Prince of Peaceland, forced open the cockpit of the small ship, if you could call it a ship. A young girl, looking to be of age twelve or so, nearly slipped out and bumped her head on the floor. The captain had caught her just in time. She turned to one of the blue-suited men, kind of just staring at the scene, and seemed to start barking orders. "Get Miss Fressange and a stretcher down here, this girl is unconscious!" She turned to Uribatake, who was a bit scared at her listen-or-die expression. "I want this flitter searched, make sure there isn't anyone else on it!" Her eyes moved to Ariko, who stood wringing his hands. "Could you help me put her on the stretcher when Miss Fressange gets here?" Ariko nodded dumbly, his adrenaline pumping as he was actually asked to help, and not treated like the sheltered child he was.

It didn't take long for Inez and an attendant to arrive, pulling a stretcher with them. Yurika grasped the girl's feet and Ariko took her arms, leaning her head against his torso. They got the nameless Jovian girl onto the stretcher, and the attendant, Inez, and Yurika were gone in a flash, heading towards the hospital wing.

Ariko watched them go before starting to help with the search of the flitter. 'She was… a little older than me, but she was my age.'

~*~

After watching Inez practically dance around the girl, checking vital signs and any sign of injury, Yurika was startled by Inez beginning to speak. "It appears that she lost consciousness during her Jump. Her Boson Jump field was found unstable when I analyzed the arrangement of particles. She may have also hit her head, so we should be able to expect anything." Yurika stood and looked at the little girl on the bed. "Why would a cute little girl be Jumping all the way out here?" Inez sighed. "We'll have to ask her that when she wakes up. She is obviously a Jovian, but she seems underage for a soldier, and from what we heard from Megumi and Minato, they don't let women become soldiers anyway. She might be a runaway." The girl's eyes slowly opened, looking full of exhaustion and confusion. "Though we don't have to wait anymore, it seems. Ohayo, Sleeping Beauty."

She started to sit up, her eyes darting around the room. "Where am I?" Inez didn't even blink. She nodded to the captain, who left to go back to the bridge. "You're on the High Mobile Battleship Nadesico." The girl rubbed one of her brown eyes. "Nadesico?" Inez nodded. "That's right."

Yukina took a deep breath. 'Well, I made it to the right ship. Now, I just gotta play my cards correctly…' She grasped her head, and started making painful noises. "What's wrong? I can't remember… anything! Who am I?" She glanced up. The blonde lady turned to the desk behind her and was picking up her identification and purse. 'Well, I got her snowed under.'

Inez read off of the little card in her hand. "Your name is Shiratori Yukina. You have brown hair, brown eyes, and you're thirteen years old." She looked back at Yukina. "Oh, I hope you don't mind, but we had to confiscate your purse and ID." Yukina's eyes widened. 'No!' "No, give them to me! Let me have them!" She tried to dive for them, but she ended up falling on the ground as the doctor had turned out of her way.

"I believe regulations say I have to hold on to these for a while~" she said, singsong. Yukina, from the ground, spun her fingers innocently and smiled cutely. 'It's gotta work, it's gotta work…' "But you seem like such a nice lady… Pretty please?" She smiled her cutest smile, all the while thinking not cute thoughts. 'Fall for it fall for it fall for it…'

The blonde woman smiled back. "Oh well! It probably isn't anything!" She handed the two items back to the girl on the floor. Yukina seemed genuinely happy. "Oh thank you, Miss!"

Inez's smile faltered a bit. "Now, you were suffering from memory loss, right?" Yukina squeaked. 'Crap, I wonder if my cover's blown…' She nodded slowly, and Inez smiled skeptically. "Very well then…" She started walking towards the door. "I'm going to leave, but I'll come check back in an hour, all right? We should be within Earth's atmosphere by then. Get some rest, Yukina." Inez left the room, knowing full well that the girl was going to sneak out, and that Yukina didn't have amnesia at all. 'She deserved to be humored; she obviously thought this plan through far enough. And I have a feeling that letting a Jovian girl run rampant through the ship is enough to make people realize all the secrets kept within these metal walls.' The blonde woman smiled to herself before heading for her lab.

~*~

Yukina was ready to run rampant, too. She was listening at the door for the blonde lady's footsteps to turn a corner before the girl ventured out of the room and started to attempt to conquer the maze of metal hallways that the crew knew every nook and cranny of. She whispered, "Tip toe..." as she wandered through the halls, careful to look around turns at junctions before continuing. She finally turned as she met a dead end, and went from tiptoeing to skating, not lifting her feet as she stepped. 'I'll find you Earth woman… I'll get you for stealing Oniichan's heart.'

~*~

Tsukumo sat with his best friend, who made tea for the two of them to calm his nerves. It just didn't seem to be helping, though. Tsukumo sighed. "I just can't believe Yukina would be up to something like this. I guess we'll just have to count on her."

Genichiro didn't even blink. He said the same statement that had been drilled into their heads during childhood, the statement neither of them questioned. "Don't worry. Justice always prevails in the end." Tsukumo looked up. "It's not about justice anymore, we're aiming for peace." Genichiro shook his head. "Earth must be defeated, you know that, Tsukumo," said he, a little mournful that his best friend was leaving all lessons that had been taught as children.

Tsukumo looked at the ceiling, and grimaced to find a Nanako poster there. "I can only hope Yukina knows that she was sent for peace."

~*~

Yukina continued to walk, or skate, rather, down the hall. 'Why would I want to bring peace? Where are you, Earth woman!' She stopped, and then started to shout. "I swear on Jupiter, I'll not let Haruka Minato seduce Oniichan!" She then realized she was shouting, and started tiptoeing again, whispering, "Sneak… sneak…"

She went inside a door, after looking in the window to make sure no one was there. She kept low and continued to tiptoe, but stopped when she saw what looked like a refrigerator. "I'm a little hungry…" She opened it, finding just about everything you could find, but it was mostly preserved and not good for eat-while-I-carry, which is what she was looking for. Nevertheless, she found a piece of cheese and popped it in her mouth. She also grabbed a small sausage before closing the door, smiling around the cheese in her mouth. Before she even had the door closed, she heard a much older voice say, "It's Yukina right?" She squeaked, then pushed the food in her mouth before turning around slowly. Looking through the shelves behind her, she discovered that they weren't talking to her, but they were talking about her.

How Mei gave Uribatake a strange look. "What are you talking about?" Uribatake's smile didn't falter. "That's the name of the new girl, right?" How Mei sighed. "She's a prisoner! Not a new recruit!"

Uribatake kept smiling, and, frankly, it was disturbing Ariko as he tried to eat his sandwich. "But she's cute, right?" The brunette cook looked like she would practice chopping vegetables with Uribatake's head if he didn't shut up, but she stuck to arguing. "She's also only thirteen years old!" Uribatake looked confident. "Hey, I've got patience." How Mei sighed, going back to helping Junko collect the dishes of the crewmembers that already left dinner.

One of the mechanics pushed a button on his communicator, and Yukina's information popped up. "This is her picture." All the mechanics crowded around Ariko's table, where the mechanic was sitting. Most of them were making strange sounds, mostly to the affirmative that yes, the new girl really was cute. Yukina smiled a bit. "I guess Earthlings do know a few things about beauty…"

One of the mechanics pointed to her age. "I've got a niece that's her age!" Ariko nodded. "Oneesama is her age too…" Uribatake elbowed the young prince in the side. "Hey, she's not too young for you, Ariko-chan. She's older than you, in fact! Maybe you two ought to hook up!" The silver-haired boy shook his head, smiling and blushing. "Oh no, Uribatake-san, I definitely couldn't do that!" The older man shrugged. "I thought the whole point of this was to piss off your mother…"

The other mechanics had their own conversation going on. "It sucks that kids like her, Ruri, and Ariko get pulled into the war…" Another nodded. "War sucks, man."

Yukina turned away from them, having a few things to think about. "This is really strange. Those Earthlings sound almost nice." She gasped, realization dawning on her. "Wait a minute. Maybe they already know I escaped and this is all part of a trap!" She glared at them through the shelf again. "I must find Minato-san." She started sneaking away again.

~*~

Akito opened the door to his new room to find that Erina was already in there. He sighed. "Aren't you ever going to leave me alone?" Erina smiled maliciously. "I'm staking you out. I'm tired of you avoiding me." Akito walked past her into the room itself. "I was filling out my report on retrieving the shuttle, not avoiding you."

Erina stuck her nose in the air. "Whatever. The only reason you don't want to take part in the experiments is because you're weak and not willing to fight. I'm being blunt so we can get things done." Akito unbuttoned the outside part of his uniform. "I may not be the best here, but I'm all you got, isn't that what you've said?" Erina kept her eyes off him. "Trust me, Akito-kun. If I had a choice, I'd pick your Energizer bunny of a boyfriend for experimentation, but no, I'm stuck with you. Stuck-up, arrogant little-"

"We're not together anymore. Just tell me what you want so I can tell you no." He pulled off his black turtleneck and hung it on the line strung across the room. Erina smiled. "Of course not. I've been saying it since Christmas. No one wants a loser like you. All we want is your ability. If we could get anyone else, we would."

Akito pulled off her undershirt, and Erina blushed at seeing him topless. Akito tried to control his temper. He could blow up at his boyfriend, but not a superior. "You keep saying that, and I keep saying no. Why don't you just drop it?"

Erina glared at the wall. "You know we need this technology to win the war." Akito shook his head, and hung his tank top on the string. "We've been doing just fine without it. We don't need it." Erina growled at the Martian. "What you need is a kick in your pants." Akito glared at the floor before him. "Kick me now, because my pants are coming off."

Erina whispered, unintentionally, "I swear to God, you're almost as stubborn as your damn father." She gasped as she realized what she said and that Akito heard it. He spun on his heel and stepped closer to her. "What did you say?" He grabbed her wrist. "What do you know about my parents?" Erina pulled her arm from his grasp. "Stay away from me, you Jumper!" she fled the room.

Akito didn't know why, but being called a 'Jumper' in such a tone hurt.

~*~

Yukina was tiptoeing/running down the hall when she heard a beautiful voice from the woman's bath. "So, are you ready for a hot soak, Minato?" Yukina skidded to a stop, and then sneaked into the baths. "I'm done, so you'll have it all to yourself."

Then she heard the voice of the woman she loathed. "Thanks, Meg!" 'She's in the next aisle.' There was a soft pop, like someone opening a bottle. "Watch your posture!" said the evil Earth woman cheerfully as she started to undress.

Yukina ran into the baths, her plan formulated. She pulled off her Jumpsuit, and hopped under the water, ready to pull the small pistol out of her purse and shoot Minato as soon as she had a clear shot.

She heard the door open, though all the water muffled it. She heard Minato gasp and say, "Oops! I forgot my shampoo!" One minute went by before the door opened again and Minato sat down before the pool.

Before she could get in, however, one very red and breathless girl burst out of the water. She yelled and gasped, trying to get air and talk at the same time, "You Haruka Minato Earth woman getting dizzy…" she fell backwards into the water again. One of Minato's brown eyes twitched in confusion before she gathered the poor girl out of the water and wrapped a robe around each of them. A bath could wait.

She carried her into the lockers and sat her on a bench, and then Minato laid Yukina's head in her lap. She took out her Nergal fan and started to push air into her face, to help her get air. At the same time, she found Yukina's ID and purse. She looked at the ID first. 'Shiratori Yukina… Perhaps she's related to Shiratori-san.' She opened the purse to find only a small pistol. 'Oh my. Someone really doesn't like me.' Nevertheless, she set the items down on the bench beside her and continued to fan the girl. 'The Jovians' whole society is based off Gekiganger… I should make her feel comfortable while she recovers.' Minato started to hum the opening song, only messing up a few times.

Yukina's eyes started to open with recognition to the song in her brother's anime. The first thing she saw was Minato's smiling face, and a fan in her hand. She pulled herself up and whispered, "Why were you singing that song?"

Minato smiled again. "Shiratori-san taught it to me." Yukina looked down. "I may love Oniichan, but I hate that anime." Minato burst out laughing. "I thought you were his sister!" Yukina glared at the older woman. "You seduced Oniichan and turned him into a spy!"

Minato smiled, trying to hold her laughter in, and fanned herself. "If I was meaning to do that, I'd have gone all the way!" Yukina's brown eyebrows knit. "All the way?" Minato winked. "I would have been more intimate with him." Yukina stood, blushing like crazy. "That's disgusting!" She promptly passed out again, and this time Minato caught her. "Oh no, there you go again! Now, just hold on!"

A few minutes later, she was sitting up in her spot again. "What's so special about Oniichan?" she asked gruffly. Minato put a finger to her cheek, as if thinking hard before she turned to her with a smile and answered, "Well, he has a very wonderful sister who loves him!" Yukina actually considered this for a minute before realizing how stupid she was. "Don't play games!"

Minato waved a hand. "Oh, but I'm not playing games! You came all this way just because you were worried about him. And that means you must love him very much." Yukina looked away. "Well, maybe." Minato petted Yukina's shorter hair. "And if you love him so much, he must be very special. That tells me a lot right there, see?" She put her hand back on the bench.

Minato grasped the little purse on her left and held it up. "Tell me, Yukina. Were you planning on assassinating someone?" Yukina squeaked. Minato set it down next to her. "Yukina, your brother would be very sad if you got jailed or killed, don't you know that? He must be worried sick, now that you've gotten yourself involved in the war. You have to be careful."

Yukina looked down, and then turned to Minato. "Promise me one thing." Minato cocked her head, but Yukina continued. "When you do it with Oniichan," Minato blinked, looking a bit confused at why Yukina was the one to bring it up, "be gentle."

~*~

A half-hour later found Yukina dressed into her school uniform and, having already told Yurika her purpose on the ship, standing in the middle of the hangar, describing her communications device to Uribatake. "You're looking for a jiro with no guns…" She held her arms out, determining a size, "with a Leap Gate strapped to it's back. Does that help?"

Uribatake scratched his chin. "Yeah, it actually does. Thanks, Yukina." He picked up his megaphone and yelled. "Okay! We're looking for an unarmed grasshopper with a Chulip on it's back!" There were mechanics looking through her shuttle for the device. Uribatake glanced at the silver-haired boy standing nearby. "Ariko-chan, why don't you take Yukina back to the bridge? We'll send her thing up when we find it and fix it up." Ariko nodded slightly, then turned to the older girl. "Well, um… Let's go." He started walking out of the hangar. Yukina hung back a second before following.

There were a few moments of silence before Yukina broke it. "Why's such a young kid like you on a Battleship?" Ariko stopped and glared at her. "I'm eleven! Not nine or anything!" Yukina crossed her arms and glared back. "I'm thirteen, and that's older than you." Ariko sighed, and then they kept walking.

"I'm on the ship… to piss Okasama off." Yukina glanced at the boy. "Okasama? Why so much respect to your mom? I mean," she crossed her arms behind her head, "my mom died when she was giving birth to me, so I probably wouldn't know, but how come?"

Ariko smiled slightly. "You talk a lot, don't you?" Yukina shrugged and gestured for Ariko to answer her question. "Well, my mother is Queen Gwynth of Peaceland. We all are supposed to give her, and Otosama, the respect they need."

Yukina blinked. "So… you're a prince?" Ariko nodded, and pushed some buttons on a wall, activating the elevator to the bridge. They stepped inside, but Yukina kept talking. "I mean, that's cool and all, but you never would've thought, lookin' at you." She gasped. "Oh, uh, I mean no disrespect-" Ariko waved a hand, shutting her up. "It's okay, really. I really wish I wasn't in my position. That's one of the reasons I'm on the ship. I really like machines, working with them. I convinced Uribatake-san to start teaching me how to fix, and build, things." Yukina nodded. "And now everyone just sees you as one of the guys, even if you are younger and a prince."

Ariko sighed as the elevator stopped. "Sometimes I wonder if Oneesama is happy where she is, even though I know she is." Yukina blinked, and followed him off the elevator. "Oneesama? Who's your sister?" Ariko didn't answer, but was walking towards the silver-haired computer operator. Yukina followed, not believing her stupidity. "Oh, YOU'RE his sister! God, don't I feel stupid! It's obvious now! The gray hair!" Ariko glared at Yukina. "It's silver!"

Ruri closed her amber eyes. "Honto, baka baka." Yukina's jaw dropped. "I say that all the time!" Ruri didn't regard her, but Ariko didn't seem fazed by it. Instead, he was looking down by Ruri's left. "What's wrong with Omoikane, Oneesama?"

Ruri glanced at the robot on the floor. "He shut down yesterday during the battle. I have not been able to get him back online since then. I think he knows something will happen that requires him to be off the network." Ariko cocked his head. "How would he know?" Ruri didn't even blink. "He reads everything. Including confidential Nergal files."

Ariko was thoughtful, then blushed. "Oh, I'm so rude. Gomen nasai!" Yukina raised a brown eyebrow. Ariko put a hand on his sister's head. "This is Princess Notsumote Hoshino Ruri, First Princess and Heir of Peaceland." Ruri shook her head a bit to get him to lift his hand.

Ariko started pointing people on the bridge out. "And that's Subaru Ryoko, she can be pretty mean sometimes. The longhaired lady next to her is Maki Izumi, she makes puns all the time… And the redhead is Amano Hikaru, Uribatake-san has a crush on her." Yukina squeaked, but looked to the left of where he was pointing. "Oh my god! That guy looks just like Oniichan!"

"He certainly doesn't have his personality," commented Minato. Yukina didn't even realize she was sitting next to Ruri. The three children turned to her, and Minato smiled. "Sorry to take your spotlight, Ariko-chan! You go ahead and point to everyone, I'm sure they'll be pleased!" Yukina was starting to wonder how Minato could smile all the time.

Ariko cleared his throat. "Right. Okay, the lady next to him is Kazamo Itsuki… she, um…"

"She's a lesbian," stated Ruri plainly. Yukina shrugged. "There isn't anything wrong with stuff like that. It's kind of looked down upon in the Jupiterian Empire, but… call me a rebel, but there are a lot of things in our society I don't agree with. Telling people to watch a certain anime and no other, telling people to love a certain person and no other, though they may not even like them…"

Ariko just shook his head. "You do talk too much." The two of them laughed, and Minato could almost see the hint of a smile on Ruri's face. 'Somehow… I think they're all going to become good friends.'

~*~

It wasn't long before Yukina was on the level below, trying to control the grasshopper with a very stubborn remote control. "Open open open…" she sighed. "It's not working." Ruri seemed to appear right next to her, and, wordlessly, she walked to the grasshopper and gave it a few swift kicks. The Chulip on top finally opened, and the image of a chair in a dark room appeared. Ruri backed up and looked at Yukina. Yukina just chuckled nervously and scratched the back of her head. Ruri went and sat back down at her seat.

They heard someone come into the room, and Minato looked like she was going to bounce when she heard Tsukumo's voice. "Hey… what's this doing on…" Yukina stood in front of the Leap Communications device. Tsukumo sat down, looking very relieved to see his sister. "Yukina!" Yukina smiled. "Hi, Oniichan!" Tsukumo started asking a slew of questions, seeming very worried over the young girl. "Just where in the hell are you? Are you all right? Is your ship intact?" Yukina whispered, "Don't sweat the small stuff," before moving, motioning for Minato to come and stand in front of it now.

Minato walked over to the device and bent her knees, so she could see well into the device. "Hello." Tsukumo's eyes widened, and he tried to grasp words. "Hello… It's been a while." Minato nodded slightly. "Yes it has." Tsukumo shook his head. "I'm so confused… I don't know where to start!" Minato's lips turned upright.

Yukina stood next to Minato. She glared at her older brother. "Don't start with that stupid anime!" Tsukumo sputtered. "What're you talking about? Why would I be thinking about that now?" Minato giggled, watching the sibling spat. Tsukumo was completely serious though. "Seriously Haruka-san doesn't tune into 'toons…" He giggled. "I made a pun!" Minato burst out laughing, mostly at how silly Tsukumo was acting. "So Jovians make puns too?" Tsukumo scratched the back of his head, still smiling. "I guess we can be jovial…" The two went back into laughter again, and Yukina was groaning at how stupid her brother was.

Izumi held up a sign reading "1.0". "Shoot me please," she breathed. Hikaru glanced at the sign. "That's pretty harsh!" Ryoko shook her head at her best friends' antics, and then glanced at Akito. He didn't notice her looking at him. He was too busy glaring at Erina. It was so harsh, his look was so cold Ryoko felt very uncomfortable. 'Is this a Yurika thing?'

And speaking of the captain, she was thinking serenely to herself. She walked up to the little girl called Yukina, and laid a hand on her shoulder. "Excuse me, I'd like to announce an important decision I've made!" She looked at the teenager warm-heartedly. "As Captain of the Nadesico, I say Shiratori Yukina will stay on the Nadesico and under my protection as long as we have these negotiations! We've got to make this peace treaty a reality and end this senseless fighting!" Many of the crew seemed happy about it.

Erina shivered under Akito's hard glare and glanced up at the top level of the bridge. Her cousin stood there, as if waiting for something. 'So, the time has come, Nagare?'

Minato turned her attention back to the man she was in love with. He cleared his throat and seemed to be trying to force something out. "Um… Minato? The day the peace treaty's signed…" Minato nodded, thinking she knew what he was going to say. Tsukumo took a deep breath before starting again. "When peace does come, will you please give me the honor to-" The Nadesico's alarms started going off, and everyone's concentration on the device broke. Tsukumo blinked, then turned to his sister. "What is it?" Yukina shook her head, and then raised the remote control. "I don't know, but I think I better turn this off for now!" Tsukumo raised his hands before the screen went black. "No, wait-"

Yurika shook her head, and started walking towards the highest level of the bridge. "Status report, Ruri!" Ruri made a window appear on the bridge. "The Nadesico has been surrounded by various UE ships," said she, emotionless. Yurika gasped. "That's the Yugao, the Harujyon, the Mihejyon… But that means-" A new window opened, showing the picture of Admiral Misumaru Kouichiro. "Hello Yurika."

"It's Otosan!" Admiral Misumaru grew soft at the sight of his daughter. "Yurika… you've really grown." Yurika shrieked, then turned away, covering her breasts with her arms. "Ew, Otosan, you're weird!" Kouichiro cleared his throat. "I meant overall growth, of course." He coughed. "We demand that the Jovian called Shiratori Yukina be handed over."

Yurika stopped, and then grasped Yukina's shoulder again. "But she'll be much safer on the Nadesico! Don't you think she'd be safer on the greatest warship in our fleet?" Kouichiro's gaze lowered. "Yurika, I can't tell you the meaning of these orders. Just give her to us." Yurika was defiant, however. "Ruri, charge up the Gravity Blast Cannon!" Kouichiro nearly had a heart attack. "Yurika!!!"

Ruri was emotionless as she placed her hands on the console, the sparkling lines appearing on the interface. "Cannon charging, ma'am." Yurika nodded, then finally got up to the highest level. "Fire the first blast between their ships." "Hai."

Kouichiro waved his hands in front of the window. "Wait a minute! You don't know what you're doing!" Ruri gave the order to fire, but the interface shut down. She quickly ran through all the other systems, then quickly gave the report to Yurika. "All systems shutting down, Kanchou!"

Yurika gasped. She looked back to her seat to see Akatsuki holding the master key. "Don't worry, Kanchou. Since it was an authorized pull-out, we should be safely landing, in just a couple of seconds!" Yurika sputtered, at a loss for words. "I thought only the Captain of the Nadesico could pull the key out!"

Akatsuki shook his head. "Nope. There's only one other person authorized to do it. The CEO of Nergal supercedes you, right?" Akito was at the highest level much faster then Yurika was. "Just what does that mean?"

On the lowest level, Itsuki shook her head. "Akito no baka." Gai glanced at his childhood friend. "You know what this may mean, right?" She smiled. "That we may have to go to our birthright occupations? Yes."

Akatsuki chuckled. "It means that I'm the CEO of Nergal!" Yurika and Akito gasped, and Akatsuki burst out laughing. Hikaru, however, shrugged. "I expected something like this!" Ryoko shook her head. "Typical." Izumi held up a sign reading "0.5".

Jun just sat comfortably, like the Nadesico wasn't in near grave danger. "It's just like anime." Akatsuki glanced at the Executive Officer. "Was it really that obvious?"

A communications window opened, showing Uribatake laughing. "As clear as a cloudless day! You ought to update your webpage, Playboy!" This angered Akatsuki. "Well, who cares what you all think anyway!" Kouichiro's window was still up. "Akatsuki-san, please let me speak with my daughter." Akatsuki shrugged. "Very well then." Yurika glanced at Akito. "Get Yukina out of here, Akito." Akito nodded before running off to the lowest level and pulling Yukina into an elevator.

It didn't take Kouichiro long to get onto the ship and onto the bridge. He looked at Yurika with a sense of knowledge. "I bet you know what happens now." He lowered his voice to a whisper. "What's happened to the Jovian girl?"

Yurika looked down, and then raised her look to face her father. "She's safe." Kouichiro nodded. That's what was important, anyway.

~*~

Akatsuki made a statement around the Nadesico, and it was not lost on Akito and Yukina, hiding together in a darkened service hall. "For the time being, I'll be taking control of the ship. If you sit down and think about it, letting the military take care of Yukina seems like a really good idea. Oh, and if anyone has any problems with it, they are welcome to get off the ship."

Akito heard a door open, and he held Yukina, motioning for her to stay. Erina appeared before him, and he growled slightly under his breath. "I know you're not happy to see me," she started, then stuck her nose in the air, "but you must realize that as Nagare's cousin and direct heir after him, I can do more than your captain can." Akito looked away, whispering in an angry tone, "Maybe…"

Erina shrugged. "That's more like it." Akito sighed. There was just no getting rid of this woman. "I already told you I know about your father. Doesn't that intrigue you?" Akito's mouth became a firm line. Yukina felt more like she was intruding on a personal matter. Privacy was one of the aspects of Jupiterian society that Yukina agreed with.

~*~

"I want Yurika, Prospector, Hory, and Misumaru searched before I speak with him." Akatsuki went into the guest lounge. They had to leave their communicators. Prospector sighed, and then palmed his little Ruri pin, ready to pin it on when the conversation went a direction that would affect at least a certain member of the crew. "It seems even our allies don't trust us."

They finally were let into the lounge, Kouichiro sighed. "You're becoming more like your father everyday." Akatsuki glared at the Admiral. "Just what does that mean?" Kouichiro shook his head. "Nothing. I was just recalling a time when we thought nothing could taint our children. Your father and the Tenkawas discovered Chulip Crystals at Mars North Pole together, didn't they? And it just so happens that the Tenkawas died in a military coup that just happened to take place a few days later!"

Prospector cleared his throat, and secured the pin to his shirt discreetly. 'Now we're on the right track.' Kouichiro noticed this. 'A small communicator. Smart.' He continued talking, though Akatsuki seemed to be shooting dagger through him. "Was Nergal involved in the murder?"

~*~

A window appeared on the bridge, showing nothing, but the voices from the room could be easily heard. Ruri glanced at Omoikane. 'This is what you were expecting, wasn't it, dear metal friend?' She looked back up at the window.

They heard Prospector's voice. "Of course Nergal was involved." Akatsuki's slow angry voice was next. "Now would be a good time for you to shut up."

~*~

Despite Akatsuki's warning, Prospector continued telling the tale. "I was Interim Commander of Nergal's Mars Branch Office at the time. Looking back on it, it's surprising how smoothly it all went, with the military pull-out and the coup." He cleared his throat. "Chulip crystals were secret, a confidential Nergal affair. Professor Tenkawa, on the other hand, wanted to publish the findings. Your father paid off those stationed at Mars to pull out, and also started the coup, making it possible to make an explosion at Professor Tenkawa's lab seem like an accident, or a rebellious act, when it was Nergal and no other. Nergal staged the assassination of the Tenkawas."

Akatsuki shook his head. He smiled maliciously. "It was what they found at the excavation site! My father knew, even then, that he who would control the relic, would control the world. So, of course he created a scene where Nergal would come to possess the relic."

~*~

Akito was standing, glaring at the window. "And my parents were killed by Nergal because they were in the way of a company's profits?" Erina seemed scary of this angry Akito. Yukina shivered at seeing an ally so mad.

~*~

Kouichiro's eyebrows knit. "And what will become of Yukina?"

Akatsuki stopped smiling. "The Jovian girl with the ambition for peace. Hmm. There's a Jovian fleet orbiting Mars. Any suggestions for peace would only lower the UE troops morale." Kouichiro glared at the young man. "So she would have to be eliminated?"

At this, Minato left her station, determined to find Akito and Yukina in the hidden halls of the Nadesico.

Akatsuki nodded. Prospector sighed. "I guess that means we have no choice." Akatsuki gasped as he noticed the Ruri pin. Yurika cried out, as loud as she could, "Akito, run for it!" Mr. Hory elbowed the guard behind him and caught his gun. Prospector grabbed the arm of the guard next to him and swung him over his shoulder, stealing his own gun. Akatsuki stood as Prospector and Hory started shooting at the guard down the hall. "Stop firing!" He abruptly fell to the floor, and Kouichiro held up the frying pan he hit him with. Yurika smiled at her father before making a break for it.

~*~

At the bridge, five pilots formulated their plan. Ryoko glanced at the purple-haired girl and her childhood friend. "You two, can you help the mechanics that are mutinying with us prepare the Aestis? Akito's going to have to run in with the kid and pull out immediately." Itsuki nodded. Gai blinked slowly. "Me and Itsuki will go back to my house. We'll take up our old shoes and walk in them until we can communicate together again." Ryoko nodded, understanding the coded message. She turned to her best friends. "We'll run off and back Akito and Yukina up. Izumi, get a gun as soon as you can. We'll need your sniper skills." The other two girls nodded. The five broke away, calling out "See you later!" and "Until we meet again!"

Ruri stood, pulling Omoikane onto her back. She noticed her brother standing nearby, horrified. She told him of her own plan. "I will stay on the ship in secret. Miss How Mei can help me. Ariko-chan, lay low with Uribatake-san until I can contact you all." She glanced at the boy she was carrying piggyback style. "I feel I will have to work hard with Omoikane to do that. But whatever you do, don't go back to Peaceland. It will be easier for them to track you down." Ariko nodded hurriedly and ran off to the hangar. Ruri walked as fast as she could through the back ways towards the cafeteria.

~*~

Akito pulled Yukina from the floor. "Come on, Yukina, we've all got to go." Yukina nodded quickly, unable to say anything. They started to flee, but Akito stopped when he heard Erina cry out, "No! Don't go!" Akito turned to her. "I'm going."

"No! You can't just leave!" Akito sighed. "You've got to realize the world doesn't revolve around your wants, Erina." Erina hiccupped, starting to sob.

"Please don't leave me here… you're all I have left." She blushed when she realized that Akito understood perfectly what she said, then attempted to hide her face in shame. Akito looked away. "I'm sorry that she's leaving," was all he said before starting off for the hangar. Erina sank to her knees and sobbed uncontrollably.

Akito and Yukina were almost there when soldiers surrounded them. "Dammit!" was all Akito could cry before he heard a loud yell. "Hiiyaaaaa!!!" Hikaru knocked two of them down with a flying kick. One of them dropped their gun, and Izumi caught it in midair. She pointed it towards the soldiers at the other end of the hall. "Time to dance!" yelled she, firing only at their ankles, determined to get them to run off and tell of a crazy woman with a gun.

As they ran off, Izumi smiled and slung the rifle on her shoulder. Hikaru made a victory sign. Ryoko came into the hall and winked at Akito. "Time to leave!" Akito nodded, and the five of them headed for the hangar.

~*~

Itsuki and Gai had apparently already taken off, heading straight for Kawasaki. Jun was helping Yurika into the cockpit of an extra Aestivalis when the Three Angels, Akito, and Yukina came in. Jun nodded towards the pink Aestivalis. Akito headed straight for it.

Minato came into the hangar and, seeing Yukina with him, walked up to Akito. "Let me ride with you too." Akito nodded quickly and helped the two females in before climbing in himself.

Jun opened a communications window. "Have somewhere for us to go, Tenkawa?" Akito nodded. "Sasebo." The window closed and the two Aestivalises took off. Yurika cried over open communications as they zoomed away from the ship, "Everyone! Get out while you still can!"

TBC…

~*~

A/N: Wow! That sure was fun! Woo! Okay. Wow, Ariko seems to be gaining a crush on Yukina, doesn't he? Tee hee! I tried to stick with the original episode as much as possible, but I couldn't help changing the order of some things. Hehehe. Okay, yes, I know Erina calls Akito a "jouffer" or some weird shit like that, but I always keep hearing "Jumper" whenever I watch it. And that was foreshadowing to something a long way down the road. Just try to remember that she used Jumper as a derogatory name, okay? Alrighty, what do we have in store for the next chapter, eh? Well… it shouldn't bee too much different from this one, actually. You know, all normalish at the beginning, and lots of action towards the end of the episode. But yeah. And we get to follow Meg around, mostly! Anyway, um… yeah. Stay tuned for the next chapter! And review as always! 


	16. Dependant on each other...

A/N: Well now, what's everyone's opinion on the last chapter? Was it good? Was it craptacular? I'm asking because I'm merely writing this part now because I have nothing else better to do, not because people are begging for more. Oh well. I'll live. Well, what shall we see here… a lot of normal stuff… But a lot of things will be changed… But that's what happens when I'm running on a timeframe! Bite me! Okay… this is for Episode 23 (duh), where the crew storms the Nadesico (and suns it too… ignore me, please, or at least shoot me.). One a real quick note, did anyone else realize how creepy it was in that one Akito's Aesti scene where Yukina's face was just RISING? Okay, I'm shutting up. Playlist didn't take as much effort as last time… It was more of a throw together thing this time. ("Anxious Heart" by Nobou Uematsu, "Until Strawberry Sherbet" by Megumi Hayashibara, "Believe" by Houko Kuwashima, "Forever Love" from Nadesico, "Electronic Lover" from Tenchi Muyo, "Angel Blue" from Those Who Hunt Elves, "Shoot! Love Hunter" from Bakuretsu Hunters, and "Blind Game Again" from Gravitation) Anyway… let's get started before my insomnia eats your soul like typo demons eat my brain.

~*~

(Hiratsuka Bay)

Erina was reading her report on their progress as Akatsuki, Hory, and herself made their way back to Akatsuki's office. "It will only take three days to overhaul the engine block and the Phase Transition engines. On the other hand, it will still be at least ten more days to finish training the replacement crew. So, it's going to be another two weeks."

Akatsuki sighed. "So let's just launch as soon as the ship is repaired," dismissed he. Erina shook her head. "The new crew isn't ready, especially with what we have left of the original crew." Akatsuki nodded, catching her drift. "Yes… most of the good ones mutinied." Hory stopped and bowed in shame, slightly. "I'm afraid the new crew I've hired is not as good at their jobs as the originals." Akatsuki waved a hand, seeing it as no big deal. "Oh well, can't sweat the small stuff. At least we know they won't mutiny on us." He started walking away. "And our new ship is almost finished!"

Hory knit his eyebrows. 'A new ship, eh? It seems that my little charade has paid off, even if it was in the smallest bit.' He whispered into a small pin on his jacket. "You heard that, correct?" asked he, knowing full well the person on the other end couldn't answer.

Nevertheless, the purple-haired man, a few miles away, nodded gravely. 'This may mean more than it should.'

~*~

(Sasebo)

"In today's top story, the UE forces have successfully pushed the Jovian forces back, out of the Earth's atmosphere and Lagrange points. However, in spite of this new development, it may be several months before we are completely free from worry. We have with us today a special guest, Admiral Misumaru Kouichiro of the-" The TV cut off and Yurika blinked, pulled out of her TV-watching stupor by harsh reality.

Yukina glared at the blue-haired girl. She was still feeling crabby, after having to serve a rude couple during the morning rush at the restaurant. "Are you going to sit here watching TV all day?" Yurika looked slightly sad. "But… Otosan was on!" Yukina's glare didn't waver. "Are you going to skip work?" Yurika sighed. "No. I'm coming, okay?"

Downstairs, at the restaurant, Yurika stood in the center of the room, looking a little flustered at the slew of orders being put in, seemingly in unison. "I'll have Sweet and Sour!" "Miso Ramen here!" "Salt!" "Dumplings!" "Mine with pork!" "Chow Mein!" "Extra large please!" "Tang Mein, onegai!" "Rice Noodles!" "I'll have the Combo Platter!"

Yurika stopped for a short moment, thinking to herself. Then she raised a finger, smiling, and cried, "I've got it!" She pointed to each man and repeated his order exactly how he wanted it. "Sweet and Sour Pork. Miso Ramen. Salt Ramen. Salt Ramen with pork. Dumplings. Chow Mein. Extra Large Chow Mein. Tang Mein. Rice Noodles. Combo Platter! And that's ten teas all around! Is there anything else I can get for you, gentlemen?" They all clapped at how good she was at taking their orders, whispering to themselves that their friends were right. This was the best place to see smart pretty girls, especially recently.

Tatsumi Saizo was impressed, but not so much this time around. He heard this little spree of Yurika's often over the past two weeks. "Not bad!" Jun smiled. "That's why she graduated United Earth Academy, top of the class!"

Akito's eyebrows were raised. Today seemed to be one of their least busy days, especially since they started working here, so he actually got a chance to slow down and notice how good Yurika was at taking orders and actually remembering them. "That's the first time I've actually seen her doing some good, for once."

Jun glared at the Martian cook. "Hey! She was doing very well as the captain of the Nadesico!" Akito shot back at the man who was supposed to be his friend, "And look where that got us!" He sighed. "I guess this is all that it had to come down to. In the end, this is what we've been reduced to." He stared into the blue flame, but it didn't seem to calm him at all. It just made him feel more anxious inside. Jun glanced to where Akito was looking. He smiled slightly. The flame had no trouble calming him.

Saizo whacked Akito with his ladle. "Whaddya doin' staring at the soup? Start getting the ramen ready!" Akito squeaked, then started to rush to get to work. Saizo turned to Jun. "And you're supposed to washing dishes, not gossiping! And while you're at it," he threw the ladle into the sink, "wash this too!" Jun squeaked, "Yes sir!" and got right to work. Saizo called to Yurika in the serving room. "Sweet and sour's ready!" She came in smiling to pick it up.

~*~

In the back of the restaurant, Minato and Yukina were taking their break to do the laundry. Minato giggled. "I just love doing laundry outside!" Yukina knit her eyebrows. "Huh?"

Minato turned to her. "I forgot, you've never been on a real planet before." She pulled at blanket off the line, gathering it in her arms. "On the Nadesico we used electric dryers, but it just feels and smells so much better with the sun and wind!" She carried the blanket over to Yukina, handing it to her. "Here, see?"

Yukina picked it up, feeling a little silly trying to smell the cloth. Minato stretched in the sunshine, practically glowing. Yukina hid her face in the cloth and said, softly, "Maybe… I can stand living with you."

Minato wasn't sure she heard her. "Huh?" Yukina looked up, but kept her face hidden. "Well… I still don't like it, but… I guess some Earthlings are nice." Minato smiled, but told Yukina the truth, or at least what she thought. "There are a lot of jerks too." Yukina nodded, "Yeah," before the two of them started laughing. Minato shook her head, still chuckling. "Here, Yukina-chan. Let me help you fold the laundry."

~*~

(Kawasaki)

Itsuki padded into the study barefoot, mostly because of the very loud groan of frustration she heard up there. "Jiro?" Gai looked over his shoulder and past the chair he was sitting in to see his childhood friend. "Oh, what is it, Itsuki?" He seemed pretty calm for someone who was holding up a mouse, as if to be strangling it. Itsuki shook her head. "No luck?" Gai sighed, then turned back to the ancient computer. "Nope."

Itsuki walked over and hopped onto the desk in a flash of purple and lavender. "It's kind of obvious though. Of course our old pass codes wouldn't work in getting into Nergal's files. Hell, pulling rank wouldn't work either." Gai cocked his head. "You tried that already?" Itsuki nodded.

Gai shrugged. "Makes sense. Why would anyone in Nergal want to give passwords to the two CEOs of Mugendai Industries, especially since were one of the companies that rival them." Itsuki sighed, walked over to a tall chair, and plopped into it. "Asuka is computers, Nergal is ships, and we're missiles and robots. You'd think they'd want us to all work together."

Gai leaned back in the chair. "I really wish we could talk to everyone…" Itsuki's vindictive smile appeared. "Oh really. It seems that you really do delay your feelings, Jiro. But I knew that, somehow."

Gai raised an eyebrow at the lavender-clad girl in the black chair. "Oh? What the hell are you talking about this time, Itsuki?"

She wasn't fazed by his attempt to slow her down. "You know what I'm talking about. Jesus. This is déjà vu in the worst way." She shook her head, and pushed her loose ponytail behind the chair. "You miss him, don't you?"

Gai looked at the black keyboard in front of him. "…Yeah." He faced her again. "Don't you miss Ryoko?" She shook her head again. "Of course I do, but that's not what I mean." She clasped her hands in her lap. "I mean, I don't miss Ryoko the way you miss Akito. At least I'm on good terms with Ryoko at the moment."

Gai sighed, and then just focused on a small dot on the screen. After a few long moments, he felt a tear track down his cheek. "You're right," he choked out before pushing the keyboard to the floor with a clatter. He crossed his arms on the ebony wood of the desk and hid his face.

Itsuki got up from her perch on the chair, walked over to where Gai was sitting, and wrapped her arms around the torso of the man she'd known since she was a child. Sobs started to rake through his body, and Itsuki felt a pang of hurt. 'He really is like my little brother.' "I'm sorry for bringing it up, booger." He pulled his arms from the desk and wrapped them around her neck, crying into her shoulder. "He said he never even wanted to see me again…" whispered he, his emotions a mess.

Itsuki rubbed his back. "Shhhhhh. Don't talk, okay? Don't think, either, if you can help it." Gai shook his head slightly, holding onto Itsuki with all his being. "I can't not think about it… I can't help it… He practically owns me and… he… he…" Itsuki reached up and patted his head. "Don't speak, booger. Just feel it. I've been dropped before too. I know what it's like, especially when you're almost sure that's the only person there will ever be." She pulled her arms away and pulled the tissue box off the desk. She tugged at his arms, coaxing him to let go, and handed him a tissue.

"You just have to try to make the best of everything, even if you can't. Just try to go through your life, day by day." Gai nodded slowly, taking her words seriously for the first time in a long time. He continued to mop up his face as Itsuki ruffled his hair. "You're doing fine," she whispered, giving his shoulder a squeeze. "I hate seeing you like this. I know you've always been a crybaby, but… I never thought I would have to see the day when someone hurt you so much to bring you to this." Gai hiccupped. Itsuki smiled at him. "I'll beat him up if you want, okay?" Gai smiled slightly at that, shaking his head. Itsuki sighed. "Dammit. I wanted to beat the shit out of the little smart-mouthed ass." Gai actually laughed a little bit at their inside joke.

~*~

(Hiratsuka Bay)

Akatsuki sighed. "Do we have to file the report now, Erina? I'm really not in the mood." His cousin glared lightly at him. "That's what you have me for, isn't it?" He pushed the window with the report away. "All I'm asking you to do is to make a few notes and revisions, Nagare."

Akatsuki considered this, then realized Hory was standing right behind him. He whispered to his cousin, "Yes, and we still have to figure out what to do with Mr. Hory…" Erina nodded, then opened the files of the mutinied crewmembers. "We have to deal with everyone else, as well. Of the one hundred fifteen crewmembers that mutinied, twenty have returned to their former occupations and thirteen have asked to be reinstated on the Nadesico. We have found most of the remainder and they are under surveillance, while four members are still missing and unaccounted for. Hoshino Ruri, Maki Izumi, Amano Hikaru, and Subaru Ryoko." Their images went away, and the images of Yurika, Akito, Jun, Minato, and Yukina appeared.

Akatsuki stroked his chin. "It seems a little too convenient that the most dangerous group are all together…" Erina nodded. Their images went away, and image of Megumi appeared. "I'm going to take a shuttle to Tokyo. It seems that I'm going to have to have a little word with our communications officer." Akatsuki nodded, and sighed. "I'll look over the report while you're gone and send it to you to send to the UE." He looked up to his cousin. "Have our agents in Tokyo keep an eye out for the four still missing, and tell them to not hesitate to have them neutralized if need be."

~*~

Prospector sighed. "It's a little frightening when he's that casual about being ruthless." Mikako interrupted his thoughts by calling out, "Mr. Prospector! I don't know where this book goes!" On the other side of the aisle, Junko stood on a ladder. She nodded. "Yeah, I don't know where to put books about the 1990s!"

Eri giggled, coming up to the checkout desk in the library, where Prospector sat. "I found some manga in the Nergal bulletin file!" She opened the book and giggled again. Prospector sighed again. "Even these girls don't deserve a demotion like this."

~*~

(Sasebo)

Yukina glanced at the TV on the wall in the corner as she cleared a table during a shift. It was showing Magical Princess Natural Laichi. As a blue-haired, evil character came on screen and talked, Yukina gasped. "Hey! I know that voice!" Minato nodded, also clearing tables. "That's Megumi. She took up her old job as a seiyuu."

~*~

(Tokyo)

Megumi sighed as she finished the latest episode of Magical Princess Natural Laichi. She and Iwasaki Mari, seiyuu of Laichi, turned to the directors. "Thank you for directing us!" they cried.

Megumi was feeling crummy as she left the room, but she put on a fake smile as the producer appeared before. "Megumi, darling!" She blinked, and then smiled sadly. "Kobayashi-san." Kobayashi Kasuga took up Megumi's hands. "It's just great that you're back with us!" Megumi nodded. "Arigato." Kasuga wasn't finished. "You're doing such a wonderful job, voicing Rambutan." Megumi could only nod and say thank you again.

Mari walked past them. "See you, Meg!" Megumi pulled her hands from Kasuga's grip. "Mari, wait! Can I talk to you?"

~*~

Mari and Megumi sat in Coffee Dragon, their favorite coffee shop. Mari's jaw was slack. "You're going to quit Natural Laichi?" Megumi nodded sadly. "I can't thank Kobayashi-san enough for giving me such a big role, especially after being gone from the industry for so long, but… Natural Laichi's changed!" Now that Megumi had gotten started, she wasn't sure if she could stop. "All they ever seem to do is fight! I know there's a war going on, but this is a show for children! Are they always supposed to be reminded of the fighting? And then there's the enemy. Why are they called the Jovan? It's obvious that they're supposed to represent the Jovians! It's like… we're training kids to hate them on sight."

Mari blinked a couple of times before trying to denounce Megumi's statements. "But… the Jovan season of Natural Laichi has pluses, like new characters! I think what you're doing with Rambutan is wonderful! Why don't you just not worry about and go with the flow of things?" Megumi shook her head. "I can't!"

Mari smiled as she saw a somewhat familiar figure enter the shop. "It would be best in the long run!" She turned to the newcomer. "Isn't that what you would've said, Erina?"

Megumi gasped as she saw the black-haired woman sit down at the booth. "You?" Mari smiled at Erina. "I had no idea that you two already knew each other!" Megumi was speechless. "But…"

Mari held up her ID. 'She's a Nergal seiyuu?' Erina took over for Mari. "Megumi, have you seen the ratings for the Jovan season of Natural Laichi? They're absolutely fantastic! Your portrayal of Rambutan is one of the factors Natural Laichi is depending on. And Nergal is sure to back you up as long as you limit your public speaking to playing Rambutan and keeping you lips shut about you-know-where and you-know-who." Megumi felt tears form in her blue eyes. She jumped from her seat and ran off, crying, "I'm sorry!"

Erina called to Megumi as she left. "You can't run from us! You and your friends are nothing more than common criminals and we will hunt you down!"

~*~

Uribatake looked at his radar from where he sat in the alley. "Megumi's coming closer. I have a feeling those guys are going to try to kidnap her or something." Ariko nodded, grabbing the controls of the boy the two had created at Uribatake's house. "Most likely. Can't trust Nergal at all anymore. Want me to ready Timmy?" Uribatake nodded. "We're going to have to talk to Meg, and get rid of those guys. Just be ready to blow Timmy up when I say." The prince nodded, gripping the twin control sticks. "Ah."

~*~

Megumi ran through the streets, unsure, uncaring of where she was headed. Images flashed in her brain. Her voice-acting career, her job on the Nadesico. Developments in the war, developments in her life. Her choice to quit voice acting, her choice to leave America. 'Oh my god… I'm such a fool!'

She had to stop running when she saw a strange looking boy appeared out of an alley. He spoke, "Megumi. Megumi, I would like to talk to you." Two men behind her, she noticed, and started to run towards her. She gasped.

The boy motioned inside the alley, then took a few steps toward the men. "No! I have to speak with her privately!" The boy stretched out his arms and his hat flipped up. Megumi's eyes widened as the boy started shooting little missiles at the two men. He then tackled them, pinning them to the ground and effectively knocking them out.

Uribatake nodded to Ariko. Ariko nodded and hit the self-destruct button, sending Timmy soaring into the sky and exploding like fireworks. Uribatake waved to Megumi. "Over here, Meg!"

~*~

Megumi couldn't believe it. "So they've had me under surveillance all this time?" Uribatake nodded. "It's not just you though. They've surveillance on every ex-Nadesico crewmember. And since they've caught off or communicators-" Megumi nodded. "We're separated and alone."

Ariko piped up from the railing before them. "From what me and Uribatake-san have heard, there are still those they haven't found yet. Like Oneesama." Uribatake shook his head. "I'm not sure what Ruri thinks she might be doing. If our communicators have been cut off, it could be safe to say that the computer's software has been rewritten. Omoikane may not be able to reconnect to the network. I know it sounds like something Ruri would say, but I think the Nadesico we know isn't the Nadesico anymore." Ariko nodded gravely. "We've been trying to figure out who's surveying who, and try to get everyone together."

Megumi blinked. "How long do you think that will take?" Uribatake stood. "It's been difficult, and we've been without results. But once the truth about the Jovians really being humans is released, it shouldn't be too hard." Megumi looked down. "And when will that happen?" Uribatake stared straight ahead. "Possibly when the fighting will end and we can all live together in peace." Ariko shrugged. "Or when pigs grow wings."

Megumi smiled. "That soon, huh?"

~*~

(Sasebo)

Izumi watched the steam start to come out of the teapot. "We're out of filters, so I had to strain the tea through a page of Shakespeare." At first, Hikaru's jaw dropped. 'Shakespeare's Poems and Play in Original English' was one of Izumi's favorite books. But, Izumi continued and Hikaru realized she had nothing to worry about. "Now I have The Tempest in a Teapot. That's trouble brewing." She giggled.

Ryoko sighed. "She's gone over the edge." Hikaru nodded. "Way over."

~*~

Akito stood, slightly wringing his hands as Saizo looked over the dish he made. "Doesn't look too bad…" He tasted it. "Hmm… Let me think." Akito blinked. Saizo kept talking, though. "I ought to make you train for another ten years, but this is better than you can get in most restaurants nowadays." Akito's eyes widened. "You mean I passed, sir?" Saizo nodded. "With flying colors." Akito smiled. "Oh thank you very much, sir!"

Saizo gave him a half-smile. "You've obviously been studying under one hell of a chef!" Akito nodded. "Yes."

~*~

(Hiratsuka Bay)

Inez stood at the ordering counter in the Nadesico's cafeteria. "You're a peculiar one. Why compelled you to stay?" How Mei stopped sharpening knives to answer her. "My contract wasn't up yet. And besides, there's work to do." Inez smiled. "Still taking care of that kitten?" How Mei smiled back. "That's right."

~*~

Inside Omoikane's main core, the symbol of the new program appeared. A new message crossed it though. "Those Unforgettable Days, For Them, I Live." The symbol disappeared, being replaced by the original symbol for Omoikane.

~*~

(Tokyo)

Megumi had turned in early, holding onto her communicator as if it were a teddy bear. Her room in her apartment was decorated with posters. It seemed almost as if she had never left Tokyo to be on the Nadesico in the first place. A little red light on her communicator flashed on. "Megumi? Miss Reinard?" The voice woke Megumi, and she opened her blue eyes. "Huh?"

A window showing the image of Ruri opened. "Miss Reinard. It's me, Ruri." She was dressed in a cat suit. "Nyao?"

~*~

(Sasebo)

"I don't believe it!" cried Ryoko. The other two Angels crowded around Ryoko so they could see Ruri. "Yes, it's me," answered the Princess.

~*~

Akito smiled as he saw his silver-haired friend. "It's Ruri!" Saizo was about to freak out. "What's a Ruri?"

~*~

In their apartment above the restaurant, Yukina, Jun, Yurika, and Minato crowded around their table to see Ruri's window. "Isn't it cold, hiding in that refrigerator, Ruriruri-chan?" Ruri nodded slightly. "Yes, but this suit Miss How Mei gave me is very warm." Her pale lips turned up.

~*~

(Tokyo)

Uribatake dropped a wrench in surprise. "She smiled! Ruri smiled!" Ariko ran over. "Really? Let me see!"

~*~

(Hiratsuka Bay)

Ruri kept her hands on the small console in front of her, determined to keep all the communications with all of the mutinied crewmembers open. Omoikane sat beside her, unresponsive, but fully operational, with the electric blue lights running through his eyes. "I would have made contact sooner, but I've had trouble teaching Omoikane to impersonate the personality of the computer's new program. As it is, these messages are specially coded so that only you may receive them." Megumi smiled. "The computer was pretending?" Ruri nodded.

The silver-haired girl continued. "A year ago, Admiral Fukube told us that the Nadesico was our ship. To this day, I believe that statement is true. Nergal doesn't own the Nadesico, or the people who run it. We do. This ship is ours! And it's time to take it back!"

In the kitchen, How Mei looked around at how empty it was. She sighed, smiling. "Looks like I've got to get ready for company!"

Ruri glanced at the orange clad boy next to her. "It looks like we have to get a little rough, Omoikane." A communications window appeared, showing the letters "OK". Ruri smiled.

The security screens inside the dock filled with Ruri's face. "Attention all Nergal personnel! I'm very sorry, but I'm afraid I have to do this." Omoikane closed off all of the offices, not letting anyone get out to protect the Nadesico.

~*~

(Sasebo)

Yurika, Jun and Yukina came into the kitchen. "You ready to go, Akito?" asked the captain. Akito nodded enthusiastically. "You bet!" Minato came in, waving to them. "I'm coming too!"

~*~

Ryoko watched as Ruri's window disappeared. "It's time to fire up the Aestis." Hikaru squealed in excitement. "Yes! Let's!" Izumi smirked and strummed on her ukulele. Ryoko sighed. "Okay. You two head for Hiratsuka. I'll run to grab the captain off of Tenkawa and bring her so she can get the ship started early. I have a feeling we're going to have to get going as soon as possible."

~*~

(Hiratsuka)

Prospector handed Mikako the aprons without any logos on them. She smiled at the other cooks. "Okay girls! Time to change aprons!" Eri glared at her. "Change them why?" Mikako practically bounced. "Stealth!"

~*~

(Kawasaki)

Itsuki glanced at her childhood friend, who seemed much more ready to face the world now than he did a few hours ago. "I think we better get ready to go." Gai nodded. "I bet they'll come and pick us up." Itsuki shrugged. "Even if they don't, Meg, Uribatake-san, and Ariko have to get there somehow." She smiled. "Time to see if your family's extra strength batteries will get our Aestis and our little crowd to Hiratsuka."

Gai nodded, and held up his communicator. "I'll work on telling them to get here, you work on prepping the Aestis. See you in a sec." Itsuki nodded before running to her room to change into her uniform.

~*~

(Tokyo)

It wasn't long before Gai actually did get a window to Uribatake's house. "Hey, Professor!" Uribatake raised an eyebrow at the pilot. "The hell?"

Gai waved to the two mechanics, smiling. "Hey, I know you received Ruri-chan's message too, and me and Itsuki are offering to give y'all a ride!" A window opened next to his showing a direct way from their house to Kawasaki, and to Yamada Manor. Uribatake smirked. "Hey, if you get offered something for free," he turned to the prince, "might as well take it, eh?" Ariko nodded.

It also didn't take long for Ariko and Uribatake to be back into their blue uniforms. As Uribatake pulled on his jacket, Ayuko and Genji appeared at the doorway. Ariko grimaced. He expected something like this to happen. Genji glared at Ariko. 'I hate him. I don't know why, but I hate him.'

Ayuko sighed, glaring at Seiya's back. "You're going off to chase other women again, aren't you? Just as well. It's only a shame we didn't get a chance to finish things up first." Seiya turned to her. "I'm sorry, Ayuko. But I have friends who need me, who depend on me." Ayuko continued to glare at him. "We have loose ends to tie up, Seiya. When will you be back?" He shrugged. "It may be tomorrow. It may be ten years from now. But I swear to you, Ayuko. I will return." Ayuko smiled slightly. "Take care of yourself, Seiya." He nodded. "You too, Ayuko. We'll fix everything after this is all over."

Ayuko turned to the silver-haired boy. "You keep on eye on Seiya for me, okay? Make sure he doesn't get into too much trouble." Ariko nodded slowly. Seiya laid a hand on the prince's shoulder. "Let's go, Ariko-chan."

~*~

"Hey, seiyuu-girl!" Megumi was just looking at her orange uniform when Gai's window appeared. "You're coming back, right?" Megumi looked at the floor. "I don't know."

Gai's eyebrows knit. "Whaddya mean, 'I don't know'? We need you Meg!" He started getting dramatic, raising a hand to his forehead. "No! Never again will I be awaken by Megumi-chan's beautiful voice, motivating us to get out of bed and to have a good day!"

Megumi smiled. "I really don't like you, but thank you." Gai gave her a thumbs-up. "No prob, seiyuu-girl. I know you're completely against people like me, but how about I give you a lift in my Aesti? Or are you going to take a slow-ass shuttle to Hiratsuka?" Megumi nodded. "I'll take a ride, thank you very much."

~*~

(Hiratsuka Bay)

Prospector stopped pulling his cart when he ran into some guards. "Halt! What're you doing here?" Prospector didn't even blink. "What does it look like? I've got a special noodle delivery for the Nadesico." The guards surrounded him. He tried another approach. "Please let me through?" He reached up and scratched his head. "Or… are you going to be difficult? Girls?" The five How Mei Girls popped out from behind the cart.

~*~

(Sasebo)

Saizo sighed at the truck, Akito in his pink Aesti in the back, the extra black Aesti behind it. "You take care of yourself, Akito. You've got a hell of a lot of talent; don't need to see it go to waste." Akito smiled at his former employer. "You take care of yourself too, Saizo-san." Saizo shook his head. "I'll be okay. You've come a long way, Akito. The last time I saw you, you were running away from everything that bothered you. It's about time you faced your problems. Hell, I was surprised when you turn up again after being gone for two years, and with four women with you no less!"

In the cab of the truck, Jun sighed. 'He never could remember that I was male.' "Actually," he piped up, "I'm a man." Saizo didn't really notice that he said anything. "Right. Well, my restaurant won't be as popular without these lovely ladies waiting the tables." He walked up to the window of the truck. "Goodbye, girls! Take care!"

Minato smiled. "You too." Yurika waved. "See you, Saizo-san!" Yukina shot him a victory sign. "Take care of the shop!" Jun sighed. "Let's get going."

As the truck started leaving, Akito waved to Saizo as his figure grew smaller. "Thanks for everything!" His smile left his face soon though. "Okay… time to storm the Nadesico." He looked up, seeing the same broken glass shield as he did nearly two years ago. "But this time, there won't be any running away."

~*~

(Hiratsuka Bay)

Akatsuki walked through the hall of the Nergal office as some worried executive filled him in on the situation. "The mainframe has been hacked, and we're unable to let our security people out of the docking area! Also, various ex-crewmembers have broken into the Nadesico in the confusion!"

Akatsuki was calm, despite the new developments. "The confusion will be temporary. Besides, there's nothing to worry about. They can't do anything without the Master Key."

~*~

Prospector made it to the bridge, but it seems that he appeared caught. Mr. Hory stood on the lowest level. He reached into his inside coat pocket.

~*~

(Kawasaki)

Itsuki stood at the front gates of Yamada Manor, smiling at the three people who showed up. "It's about damn time!" She opened the gates and ran into the courtyard towards her violet Aestivalis. Climbing halfway up, she called towards the house, "Jiro no baka! Hurry your ass up!" Just then, Gai came hopping out of the mansion, trying to get one of his metal shoes on. "Dammit, Itsuki! The fuck is with putting MY uniform in YOUR armoire?!?" The purple-haired pilot giggled, then turned to the other crewmembers. "Okay, Uribatake-san's with me. Ariko-chan and Meg, you're with the booger. Any questions?" Uribatake started climbing up the side of the violet Aestivalis as Itsuki hopped into the cockpit. "Why am I with you?"

Itsuki shrugged. "Let's put it this way. I may be older than him, but Jiro no baka's much taller. I say it's easier to shove a tall person, a short girl, and a young kid into a cockpit than otherwise. That, and it's also easier to shove a short girl and a rather old guy into a cockpit than otherwise." Uribatake stroked his chin as he climbing into the cockpit. "True enough." He glared at the lesbian. "And I'm not old." She closed her eyes in defiance. "Yeah, yeah, whatever."

Gai helped Ariko into his cockpit first. After the prince was settled he came back down to help the violet-haired seiyuu into the green Aestivalis. On the way up, they too, had a conversation. "I'm surprised you're even listening to Itsuki. She's one of the kinds of people you don't like." Megumi sighed, and then looked down. Not a smart move. She shrieked, and grabbed onto Gai's leg. He stopped abruptly. "Seiyuu-girl, the hells are you doing to my leg?" Megumi took some deep breaths before letting go. "Gomen ne. I'm just… scared of heights." Gai shrugged slightly, and then continued climbing up. Megumi sighed again before continuing up too. "Look, I'm sorry, okay?"

Gai hopped into his seat. "For what? Being a self-righteous closed-minded wench?" Megumi had to blink. It wasn't everyday she was called a wench. A mere slip of a girl, yes. A bitch, yes. A whore, yes. A wench? No. She looked away. "I… guess that's it."

"Don't be." Megumi blinked, then glanced at the red-clad pilot. "Huh?" He closed his eyes. "I said, 'Don't be'. Look, I am who I am, and you are who you are. Nobody can change you without your permission." She didn't know she had hit the nail on the head, but Megumi was almost positive that, from his tone, Gai was speaking from experience.

Megumi shook her head. "No. It's all right, really." Gai glanced at her, and then started up the Aesti. He waited for Itsuki's to take off before he did. Megumi didn't stop talking, however. "When I first met you, I thought you were just an obnoxious idiot that had practically bribed Nergal to hire them." Gai chuckled. "That's pretty close!" Megumi smiled. "I guess… I just never really thought to look past people until now." Gai focused on the screen in front of him, listening intently on her words. "You're talking about Akatsuki, aren't ya?" Megumi nodded slowly. "How did you-"

"Hey, you're not the only one who hears stuff off of the Nadesico grapevine." He smiled at the communications officer, who smiled back. "Yeah, it's about the Akatsuki thing. I thought… He was a really great person. But… How could someone like him be so malicious to attempt to kill a little girl-"

"As sweet as Yukina," finished Ariko, sitting quietly. The two adults' gaze flashed to him. Megumi giggled. "Oh, that's so cute!" Ariko blushed, then made a very embarrassed face as he realized they heard him. Gai smiled. "Ariko and Yukina sitting in a tree…" Megumi joined in the song. "K-I-S-S-I-N-G!" Ariko covered his face, yelling, "You guys both suck!" Gai and Megumi smiled at each other, making a silent truce.

~*~

(Sasebo)

"Faster, Jun! We've got to get to Hiratsuka!" cried Yurika. Jun, his foot about to hit the gas pedal, stopped the car as soon as he saw the flash of red and blue. The red Aesti before them opened up, showing Ryoko. "Hop in, Kanchou! I'll give you a ride to Hiratsuka!" Yurika hurriedly climbed out a window and pulled herself into Ryoko's cockpit.

Ryoko opened a window to Akito. "Tenkawa, cover us!" He squeaked in surprise. "What?" Ryoko growled at the stupidity of the Martian. She pointed down. "Look at your radar you idiot!" Akito glanced down and squeaked again. "Yipe!" Ryoko yelled, "That's 'Yipe' times six!" before closing the window.

~*~

(Hiratsuka Bay)

Akatsuki read the note left on his desk and burst out laughing at how dumb the whole scene was. Erina glared at him. "And just what is so funny?" Akatsuki shook his head. "Oh my god! That Goat Hory! I thought that he was just a boring old 'Yes sir' man, but I've seriously underestimated him!" Erina put her hands on her hips. "What are you talking about?"

Akatsuki held up a note that read, "I've taken the key. Goat Hory." "He took our Master Key and split!"

~*~

On the ship's bridge, Ruri and Mr. Hory slurped up ramen as fast they seemed to be able. Prospector took this time to start talking. "This is only Phase One. We're somehow going to have to collect crewmembers from all over the world, not to mention figure out where we're going to go."

"Hold on." Hory put down his bowl. "Another bowl please." Ruri nodded quickly. "That's right, we're starving!"

~*~

(Sasebo)

Three of the six helicopters tailed after Jun's truck, firing on them. Jun did his best to avoid this shots. One of the helicopter pilots shouted, "If you stop, you'll be safe!" Jun cried back out the window, "Why do I have trouble believing you!" Yukina cried, holding onto Minato, "Liars liars liars liars!" Minato said calmly, "They don't seem very trustworthy."

Akito didn't want to waste his Aestivalis battery just yet. He called to Jun, just in case the blue-haired XO was considering it, "Don't stop!" Jun cried back, flooring it, "I'm not going to!"

Far ahead of them, the other three helicopters chased Ryoko, who was flying her Aesti like a bat out of hell. "They don't seem to care that we're not firing on them, do they?" growled the tomboy. Yurika, next to her, smiled. "Oh, don't worry about those meanies, Ryoko. It's only a little farther until we get to Hiratsuka!" Ryoko sighed. "Please don't try to fix up my mood swings, Kanchou. That's one of the first lessons Itsuki learned."

Yurika looked down at the ground below them, starting to talk to herself. "Wouldn't this be a great place for me and Akito to start a restaurant? Akito would be head cook of course, and I could be the mysterious, pretty waitress that's the talk of the town. It would be hard at first, but we'd get popular quickly." She smiled serenely. "That's what we could do, once this war is over." She sighed, holding her hat to her chest. "But I don't think that would be enough for Akito anymore. The Nadesico has come to mean so much to him! To all of us!"

Ryoko took a deep breath and focused on her view screen. "Right." 'I was sure that Yurika was okay with Tenkawa being with someone else, but I guess with them living together, and with him now single, that little flame's been rekindled. Nevertheless, she's right. We all depend on the evil little hunk of metal known as the Nadesico.'

~*~

(Hiratsuka)

Ryoko continued to fly the Aestivalis toward Hiratsuka. "Dammit! I can't believe they're shooting over a city!" They finally made it to the dock. Hikaru and Izumi's windows popped open. "You're late, Ryoko!" cried the redhead. Izumi strummed her ukulele. "It's too late, baby now, it's too late…" Ryoko opened the cockpit, and Yurika headed straight for the Nadesico and the bridge.

~*~

"Cheers to the dearly departed Yamadas. Without them today, we would still be sitting on our asses at home." Itsuki's window closed instantly after her statement, and the two strangely colored Aestivalises touched down near Hikaru and Izumi's. They opened their cockpits and let the prince, the mechanic, and the seiyuu out.

~*~

Yurika finally made it to the bridge. "Have no fear!" she cried, copying her statement from the first time she boarded the Nadesico. Hory smiled and finished the exclamation for her, handing her the Master Key. "The captain's here!" Yurika grasped the key and smiled to all that were present. "Prepare for launch! Everyone to your duty stations!"

Ruri sat in her usual seat, Hory took Minato's chair, and Prospector plopped behind Jun's controls. Yurika plugged in the key and started up the Nadesico. Ruri reported their status. "Phase Transition engines online, Nadesico ready for lift-off." Yurika nodded. Megumi cried, "Sorry I'm late!" as she ran onto the bridge and sat in her seat next to Ruri. "Opening communication channels!" Yurika smiled at the purple-haired girl she once shared a rivalry with. "Thanks Megumi." She looked at Hory. "Set course for Akito and Jun's Aestivalises!" Ruri checked the maps to see how far they were. "Pilot Tenkawa and Executive Officer Aoi are still outside our energy transfer range."

~*~

Nevertheless, the pink and black Aestivalises were running top speed away from the three helicopters that still pursued them. Akito groaned, Minato in his cockpit, "Dammit! Why are they shooting at us?" A communications window appeared from the other Aesti, showing Yukina and Jun in the same situation. "They're bad guys! Shoot them down! Shoot them down!" cried the Jovian girl. Jun glared at her. "We're not shooting anybody!"

Akito sighed, but kept the Aestivalis running as fast as he could. "We only have thirty minutes of energy left!" Minato gasped. "No! Wait, our battery's recharging!" Akito raised an eyebrow. "Huh?" They both looked up and, wouldn't you know it, there was the Nadesico. Yurika's face appeared. "I'm sorry, Akito, are we late?" Akito shook his head, about to laugh at the déjà vu of the entire scene. "Actually, that was pretty fast." Yurika smiled. "I rushed the schedule for you!"

As soon as Jun and Akito docked and let the ladies out, Uribatake was on them like ugly on a cockroach. "Oh guys! Look at how you've abused my babies!" Ariko stood nearby, shaking his head in shame. Akito scratched the back of his head. "Gomen nasai…" Ryoko smiled. "He's joking! Great to have ya back, Uribatake!" Hikaru nodded ecstatically.

~*~

Jun made it back to the bridge and his post with only one statement. "We've got our crew!" Minato took over for Mr. Hory and Yukina stood by the captain. Mr. Hory looked skeptical as they started to get in range of the Defense Barriers. "We still have to get past the Big Barrier."

Prospector was typing away at the hidden computer on his ramen cart. "Yes, but these defense systems have a such thing as a cancel code!" Ruri stated their actions to the crew. "We are now hacking into the UE's defense computer systems." Omoikane sat beside her, working completely again. He was smiling broadly as the electric blue lights streamed through his eyes.

Prospector typed in one sentence. "To whom does the blue Earth belong?" The Big Barrier shut down completely. There were no missiles fired on the Nadesico, nor any Delphiniums deployed to bring their capture. They glided through where they should have been experiencing resistance.

Prospector, back on the highest level, turned to the captain. "Now we need a destination." Yurika nodded. "Our first objective is to locate Yukina's older brother." Yukina smiled. Hory looked at the Jovian girl. "Coordinates?" The brown-haired girl pointed straight ahead. "Head for Jupiter and we're sure to find him!" Ariko, hanging around on the lowest level, smiled broadly. Megumi giggled at the silver-haired boy. Ruri sighed. "Of course." Minato smiled at the brown-haired girl.

~*~

(Hiratsuka)

Erina groaned at the entire scene. "The Nadesico got away. AGAIN!" Akatsuki chuckled. Well, when we asked for the best people to ever crew a ship, we certainly got what we asked for! Too bad they're a little hard to control. What a shame." He looked down for a moment before looking up again. "Well, it's not a total loss. Now we'll get to see how the Kakitsubata will fare against the Nadesico. Won't we, doctor?"

Erina turned around to see her now ex-lover, Inez Fressange. 'Shit. Forgot all about her. I'm a little shocked as to why Nagare still trusts her. She staged this entire thing, including the revealing of many of Nergal secrets to those not loyal to us. Namely, the Nadesico's crew.' She closed her black eyes. 'She may be a Nergal child, being raised by us and all, but that doesn't seem to make her care about the consequences of her thirst for chaos.'

TBC…

~*~

A/N: If you can believe it, this chapter was finished in TWENTY-FOUR HOURS. We haven't done that well since chapter five or something! Imagine it! 13 ½ pages in 24 hours! Anyway. Yes, Ariko is definitely getting a crush on Yukina! ^^ Oh, and wasn't Gai and Itsuki's bonding scene just so sad you wanted a hug? I sure did! ;; Anyway, how did you like this portrayal of this episode? You know, I think people seemed to forget the Jun's a pilot too when they wrote the script for this episode. That really bugged me. So it seems that he got to exemplify his lack-of-skill in piloting! ^^ Okay, like I said, how did you like this chapter? Was it good? Was it crappy-as-crap? Oh, a note. I wouldn't expect the next chapter so soon. See, I'm about to start moving, and that means a pack up of the old compy. But don't you worry; I'll be taking the time to plan out the next chapter! ^^ In the next chapter, Tsukumo and Gai meet! If I remember correctly, Bearit-san wanted to know how they would get along, so let's see shall we? And, um… some other stuff happens that I'm not sure about yet, so yeah. ^^ Welp, I'll see you next time and review me as always! 


	17. A new death sparks a change...

A/N: Hey everyone! So, how did you like last chapter? Shadow-san said it was pretty damn good! DOMO ARIGATO SHADOW-SAN!!! ^^ Anyway. Wassup. ^^ Okay… Right… OH! Yeah, um, just for your info… this is the third to last chapter! ^^ Aren't you so excited? I am! ^^ Anywayz… here we get to see Gai react to Tsukumo… not to mention Gekifest! And Minato and Tsukumo's cuteness… and other stuff! Oh, not mentioning more bonding among the youngest members of the crew and a certain Jovian girl… nor am I mentioning that Akito's incapability to make decisions comes up and bites him in the arse. Oh well. Okay, playlist… Not that spaced out, but it really works. Really. ("Ultimate Power, Gekigan Punch", "Let's go Gekiganger 3!", "Shori no V da! Gekiganger V!", and "Habatake Gekiganger 3" from Nadesico, "Are You Still Breathing" from But I'm a Cheerleader, and "Ave Satani", "The Ghost and The Darkness", and "Carol Anne's Theme" by Jerry Goldsmith) And now commences… Chapter 17.

~*~

Yurika sat down, and rested her head in her hands. 'Now that I think of it… Perhaps we made the wrong choice. I mean… Didn't the records on the definition of a captain say that a single captain can't make much difference in a battle? How should I be able to stop this entire war?' She sighed and closed her green eyes. "I sure hope this was the right thing to do."

Jun spun his chair around instantly. "Yurika! Surely you don't have doubts now? After we've already done so much?" The blue-haired Executive Officer suddenly looked frightened. 'She's usually looking to the positive side of things… And has a lot of ambition to compliment her talent. Surely she can't be pessimistic now… when we're so close…'

Megumi looked up to the next level, a worried look playing her cute features. "Do you think we'd be better as virtual prisoners back on Earth?" Yurika shook her head. "No, but do you think maybe we'll be able to actually bring peace between these two peoples?"

Prospector's purple eyebrows knit. "If both Earth and Jupiter realize the mistakes they have both made, peace should be inevitable." Yurika sighed, and shook her head again. "Are you so sure? I mean, they may realize their own mistakes, but they might think they are justifying them. A lot of water has traveled under the bridge. Will both sides be able to forgive and forget? How can we guarantee that the people won't want revenge, that they can believe in peace?"

Minato smiled and closed her brown eyes. "Well, I believe in myself." Most of the bridge turned to her, wondering if it even was her that said it. She opened her eyes and pointed her face upward. "And in Shiratori-san." Omoikane, standing between Ruri and Minato, smiled broadly. He turned to his silver-haired controller. "That's so nice, isn't it, Ruri-sama?" Ruri only blinked.

~*~

Tsukumo glared at the person he had believed was his best friend. "Unhand me, Genichiro!" Genichiro shook his head, keeping a good grip on Tsukumo's hand, holding a suitcase. "If only you were leaving to be an ambassador, I wouldn't feel so compelled to be angry with you. However…" Genichiro glared his own black eyes at the brown-haired man. He twisted his hand quickly, forcing Tsukumo to drop his suitcase. The black luggage sprung open, clothes flying everywhere, his Gekiganger figure clattering to the floor. A small black box fell to the metal surface, opening itself. A simple diamond ring gleamed at them, telling the tale with few words.

Tsukumo fell to his knees and scrambled to gather his things. Genichiro fisted his hands on his hips. "I can't believe you have fallen for that disgusting Earth whore's witchery." He reached inside his shirt and grasped the picture frame in the inside pocket. Pulling it out, it became apparent that this picture wasn't of any normal person. Quite the contrary. "How could you forsake the Jupiterian Empire's image of womanhood, the beautiful Nanako?"

Tsukumo closed his suitcase and reached for the small black box on the floor. He looked at the piece of jewelry inside as he spoke. "Nanako is a wonderful image of womanhood, an ideal role model." He closed his eyes and the box. "But still…"

Genichiro glared at his friend. 'Just what is it about that Earth woman that he desires so much?' "Go ahead. Just say it."

Tsukumo stood, the box well hidden in his fist. "She's an anime character, Genichiro! She's not real!" Genichiro blinked and his jaw dropped. 'Gekiganger is our life, it always has been… but he's dropping it like a rock.'

Tsukumo stepped into the elevator to his Daimajin. He turned and saluted his best friend as the doors closed. 'If this is how it will be, Genichiro, have a good life.'

~*~

"Boson particles forming directly in front of the ship," reported the silver-haired girl stoically. Before Yurika could even blink, Ruri was speaking again. "It's a Gekigan type, Kanchou." A window appeared, showing Tsukumo's face. Minato smiled. Tsukumo saluted the captain. "I am Shiratori Tsukumo of the Superior Male Forces of the Jupiterian Empire, here to engage in possible peace talks. Requesting permission to board the Nadesico." Yurika smiled brightly. "Permission granted! Ruri, lower the distortion fields!" Ruri nodded. "Hai."

~*~

Tsukumo saluted Yurika again when he first came onto the ship. "Greetings, Captain." Yurika nodded. Tsukumo's brown eyes jumped from the blue-haired girl to the helmswoman standing nearby. Minato smiled. The Jovian could feel a blush start to form in his cheeks, and he knew it really was there when he saw Minato's smile widen, seeming more from amusement than complete happiness. "Oniichan…" Brown met brown, and Tsukumo felt like he was going to die right there. He didn't even notice the pale hand reach up to his ear and twist it until he felt the pain. "Oniichan!"

"Itai-tai-tai-tai!!!" The thirteen-year-old pulled him down to her level, when she finally let go and smiled. He grinned at his little sister. "Hey Yukina-chan! How's the weather down here?" Yukina giggled, then wrapped her arms around his neck to give him a quick hug. "Fine!"

Itsuki smiled maliciously. "Oh, is THIS the man who's ass I whooped back in January? Not a bad catch you got there, Haruka-san." She grinned at the now-blushing helmswoman. She stroked her chin in mock-thought. "Though the only thing I see wrong with him is that he looks way too much like Jiro no baka… But it's got to be the haircut. This guy's much more pale than you, booger."

Tsukumo looked up in confusion; only to see a man that, in fact, did look very similar to him, attempt to strangle the purple-haired woman. "Nani? What are you doing to this poor woman?" It was the green-haired woman that burst out laughing. Tsukumo remembered he called her a boy. "Poor woman? Fuck, he certainly doesn't know you, does he, Itsuki?" The purple-haired woman shook her head.

The man who looked like him smiled and scratched the back of his head. "Um, I wasn't doing anything to her… honest…" Tsukumo shook his head. "I forget you Earthlings have a different society from us." The man blinked a moment, and then Tsukumo stuck his hand out to the purple-haired woman. "May I have the name of the woman who so honorably defeated me in combat?" She nodded, her vicious smile back on her face. She took his hand and introduced herself, "Kazamo Itsuki, Aestivalis pilot and CEO of Mugendai Industries." A good portion of the present crew's jaws dropped at this.

Tsukumo nodded slightly, then scanned those present real fast. "I know someone here is a Gekiganger fan… I have a present for them~!" Minato giggled, not at all fazed that she wasn't getting the most attention from the Jovian. His eyes stopped on the one who looked like him. The man shook his head violently and pointed towards a somewhat short boy with short chestnut hair. Tsukumo nodded slightly, then reached into his inside pocket and pulled out what looked like a two hundred year old video cassette, and handed it to the Martian, saying very calmly, "Here you go."

Akito raised his eyebrows at the whole scene before reading the label on the video. "Holy crap! The 'Intense Fight Volume'? I thought only five hundred copies of this went out, a hundred years ago!" Tsukumo nodded. "We had about five copies when we finally made it to Jupiter. Now every one has a copy of it."

~*~

Uribatake shook his head as he realized exactly what kind of media Akito had shown him. "A video tape?" He started hooking up one of his VCRs from his office in the cafeteria, scolding both the Jovian and the Martian. "In this day and age? You're lucky I have an extensive collection of ancient decks, or you wouldn't be able to watch this! You should thank me."

Izumi jumped up from her seat in second row, cupping around her mouth with one hand and pointing downward with the other. "Hikaru-chan thanks you!" A pale hand reached up and pulled the blue-haired pilot down, and each of the other red-clad pilots laughed, knowing exactly just what the hell Izumi was doing. Uribatake, on the other hand, was slightly out of the loop. He waved a hand at Izumi. "Now now, Izumi, no need to embarrass the doujinshi artist in the presence of a possible cult-member!" He laughed to himself as he sat down and Hikaru jumped up herself, cupping her hands around her mouth and yelling, "Cult-members my ass! I'll have you know, I was famous online for my Jyou-times-Ken fanfic, 'Under the Branches'!" She plopped down and looked huffy. Ryoko shook her head, smiling. "Hikaru, you're, like, the only person I know who would be proud that people remember her on the internet for making readable gay porn." Hikaru glared at her, and made a pinching gesture under her nose.

In the back, Mr. Hory sighed in eternal agony. "Why do we have to watch this stupid anime?" How Mei shrugged. "He's a V.I.P., whaddya gonna do?" Hory grunted in response, then glanced at Minato. She was talking to Tsukumo, and somehow making him feel very embarrassed, as he was blushing like crazy. He couldn't hear what was being said, but he didn't have to.

The lights finally cut and the video started playing on the screen, the scenes accented by unintelligible responses from Akito, Tsukumo, and Hikaru. Mostly Hikaru.

Gai sat on the ordering counter, facing the wall. 'This is the worst déjà vu yet. Only this time…' He glanced at Akito, who seemed totally immersed in the show. 'He stands alone. Alone… and carrying the ideals of the old Gai. The Gai who didn't care who said what, who didn't care if a certain Martian never wanted to see him again.' He sighed. 'Just as well. In the end… I think that's the person he was really trying to find in me.' He straightened up. 'But not anymore. It's like I told Megumi earlier. I am who I am,' he glanced at the cook, 'and he is who he is. Nobody can change you, or your ideals, without your permission.'

~*~

Ruri found herself alone on the bridge. Well, not alone. She did have Omoikane with her. But still, finding the entire bridge crew in the cafeteria, watching anime, made her want to say the only thing that could describe what was going on. She took a deep breath, anguished at how much the crew had not matured, and-

"Honto, baka baka!!!" cried the Jovian girl, coming into the lowest level of the bridge, Ruri's little brother trailing behind her. Ruri's silver eyebrows jumping to her hairline as Ariko tried to calm Yukina down. "Yukina-san, they're only watching to make your brother feel welcome. It's not big deal…" Yukina shook her head. "A whole bunch of adults watching a stupid anime! It's so moronic!" She huffed a little before glancing at the princess. "What's with you?"

Ruri sighed, then looked away. "Nothing." Omoikane glared at the Jovian girl. "How dare you speak to Ruri-sama in such a tone!" His electric blue eyes glared at the brown-haired girl behind their thick black frames. Yukina raised a finger at him, feeling a little silly for being scolded by a robot. "Hey, weren't you broken?" Omoikane closed his eyes and fisted his hands on his hips. "I wasn't broken! The hacker shut me down so I couldn't alert the crew that we were hacked, and I stayed off the network because I knew Akatsuki Nagare would order the rewriting of the computer's software, and I had to be off the network to not be rewritten too!" He glared at her. Yukina smiled before turning to Ariko, still pointing at the robot. "And you say I talk too much?"

Ariko nodded slowly. "Omoikane has always talked too much. He makes up for Oneesama not talking much at all." Yukina glanced at the silver-haired girl. Ruri made not effort to respond, occupying herself with one of her favorite games, Kanji Tetris. Yukina raised an eyebrow, and then started for the second level of the bridge. She stood next to Ruri's chair and waved a hand in front of the amber eyes. Ruri's gaming didn't falter, and she didn't blink either. Yukina sighed, and then placed her hands on her hips. "Jeez. Ariko-san, are you sure your sister isn't really, like, dead?" It wasn't Ariko who answered, but Ruri herself. "I am not dead. I am perfectly capable of responding to stimuli such as you waving your hand in front of my eyes. However, I choose not to react to such silly attempts to gain my attention." Ruri finished her game then, and turned to the Jovian girl. "Things must wait their turn."

Omoikane sighed, shaking his head. "That philosophy is never used at the console, is it Ruri-sama? You always run at least five different scanners all at the same time, sometimes while charging the Gravity Blast Cannon." Ruri didn't even blink before issuing her answer. "Omoikane-chan, you know as well as I do that all of those things must work at the same time, especially during battle." Omoikane sighed, but nodded this time. "Hai, Ruri-sama."

Yukina glanced at the three Earthlings before her. 'I don't know how, but somehow, it's not just Minato that's making me think more highly of Earthlings. It's also these people too. The prince-turned-mechanic, the princess-turned-stony-hacker, and the robot-boy. Maybe… just maybe… they could be my friends.'

~*~

The lights came back on, and it was pretty silent over the video was over. Akito took this moment to stretch, feeling absolutely satiated after watching the in-depth collection. Next to him, Yurika stared at her knees. "Akito…" He cocked his head. "What?" Yurika looked up and smiled. "Gekiganger is the answer!" She stood. "Together through Gekiganger, we can achieve peace!" She clasped her hands in front of her and sighed happily.

Akito stood; his eyebrows practically glued together, and grasped his friend's arm. "Yurika, what are you talking about?" She jumped up and faced the crowd. "I was so worried about who would be willing to forgive everyone for everything, who would be able to accept peace! But I see now! Truth and Honor are the basis of Gekiganger!" Akito sighed, ready to tell Yurika that she was being crazy, again, when Tsukumo stood.

"She's right! Our society is based on Honor, Love, Courage, and Passion! It is through these virtues that will lead to true peace!" Jun looked down at his hands, bunched in his lap. "All this time, I thought it was just a stupid cartoon…" Megumi sighed in contentment. "Never, in all my time in the acting industry, had I seen such depth in an anime." Even Hory had to say, "It touched my heart and made me feel like a child."

Yurika nodded vigorously. "I want to know everything about Gekiganger!"

Uribatake seemed to appear out of nowhere, holding a figure of Aquamarine. "You want models? I got models!" Hikaru appeared from the same nowhere, holding up a book that seemed fan-made. "The art books are over here!" Yurika shook her head. "That's not enough! I want more! I want to eat, sleep, and breathe Gekiganger!"

Prospector glanced at Hory. "You know what this means, don't you?" Hory nodded. Together they shouted, "Gekifest!!!" Yurika gasped. "That's a great idea!" She pumped her fist into the air. "Tomorrow morning we'll have a Gekiganger convention!"

Gai shook his head, chuckling, as he hopped off the counter and out of the cafeteria. 'I applaud you, Shiratori Tsukumo. You succeeded in the one good thing I tried to do on the ship. However… while Gekiganger may exemplify the virtues that may lead to a great peace…' He shook his head. 'Its beliefs, where their faiths lie, are truly misconceived. It may seem deep at first, especially to those who focus only on what's on the screen, but if you become enlightened to something you thought you would never know, and think about it while watching it, you realize just how unlike reality it is. Just how harsh life can be, and how fake anime is. I…' He turned into his room, and glanced at the space on the floor where Akito's futon used to lay. 'I pity whoever realizes this first. And… I wish I knew how to tell them without crushing them, especially now.' He shrugged before started to get undressed. 'Perhaps it's best they don't know. They seem to need this pick-me-up now.'

~*~

Hikaru, dressed in her Jyou costume, plopped in a chair behind Jun and Uribatake's table. "Hiya, Junny!" Jun turned to the redhead behind him. "Hikaru, where the hell did you come from?" Hikaru shrugged. "Other side of the cafeteria. Why?" Jun sighed and put his hands on his hips. "What do you want?" Hikaru clasped her hands together. "Oh, is it so wrong to want to be around my dear friend, Jun-chan? Is it so wrong to want to get to know you better, Junny-poo?!?" She started to very obviously fake weep. Jun took her seriously though. "Well, no it's not wrong…" He patted her hair, trying to get her to stop crying… but she just burst out laughing.

"Junny-chan's gullible! Junny-chan's gullible!" She stood up and started looking at the cardboard boxes of Aquamarine models. "So, where'd Uri-P go?" Jun shook his head, feeling stupid. "He went to get more resin, why?" Hikaru shrugged. "No reason. Wanted to bug him." Jun shook his head. "Hikaru, you obviously wanted to TALK to him. Not bug him. Bugging is what you're doing now. But I don't blame you. You and him need to talk, badly." Hikaru nodded slowly, then left just as quietly as she had come. Jun looked around and noticed that there was a box missing. "Damn you Hikaru! Get the fuck back here with that model!"

It wasn't Hikaru that brought it back, but Izumi. She stood it on the table carefully. "Sorry, Hikaru has this problem… It's called stupidity…" Jun laughed a little bit. Izumi smiled. Jun noticed she was dressed like the fat pilot Akira, but she sure didn't look like it. "Somehow, Izumi, and I mean this in a friendly way, but damn Izumi. I don't know how you do it, but you make Akira, well…" Izumi finished it for him. "Hot and sexy?" She ran a hand through her blue hair. "I know. Isn't it great!?!" One of Jun's eyebrows twitched. Izumi grinned at him. "Hey, it's okay. If I say it for you, it's not necessarily being unfaithful to Yurika! Besides," she pushed her bangs out of the way, slightly, "you should be allowed to look. Hell, God knows she is."

Jun blushed slightly, and then started glancing around the room for her. "Do you know where she is?" Izumi nodded, her look showing that she was feeling a little bad for her fellow blue-haired lovesick puppy. "She's in the next room. Her and Akito are hosting the thirty-nine episode marathon." Jun sighed. Izumi smiled sadly, then ruffled Jun's hair. "Don't sweat it. You knew this was coming." Jun nodded slowly. "I know, but…" Izumi nodded. "It still hurts, huh?"

"Yeah."

~*~

Akito and Yurika felt pretty breathless after announcing the beginning of the marathon, and sat down quiet together for a moment. Yurika broke their personal silence with a question. "Akito, just how does Gekiganger end?" Akito shrugged. "Most Robot shows end with a big fight and a happy ending." Yurika smiled. "And Peace and Honor triumph in the end! That's simply wonderful!" Akito nodded slowly, but kind of sadly as well. "Actually… I don't know how Gekiganger ends. I was always afraid that if I watched the last episode, it would change how I feel about the anime, kinda like it did with Gai." He winced a little at mentioning his ex-boyfriend, but continued. "But this time, I'm going to watch the entire thing, and then we'll make peace with the Jovians!" Yurika grinned and nodded.

~*~

After the showing of the first nineteen episodes, everyone decided to turn in and get rested for the next day, the final day of Gekifest. However, not everyone had gone back to his or her rooms yet. Yurika and Akito were crawling around on the floor, trying to find the shoot-off arm of Akito's Gekiganger figure. Akito sighed. "I wish people wouldn't play with MY Gekiganger…" Yurika looked under a piece of paper under the same table. "Why don't you attach it with string?" Akito shook his head and was about to crawl out from under the table. "We have to find it first!" Their conversation was murdered when they heard a door open and Minato whisper, "Okay, no one's here. Come on!"

Minato pulled Tsukumo into the messy room, and then turned to face him. "Finally we're alone!" She wrapped her arms around his waist, hugging him gently but firmly. Tsukumo looked like he was about to burst a blood vessel. "Um, Haruka-san… Minato… Um… Could you please back away a bit…?" asked he, not very convincing-like. Minato loosened her grip a bit to look at Jovian man, then smiled, and returned to her hug, rubbing her face against his chest like a cat. "You're so cute!" she exclaimed.

Tsukumo shut his eyes as tight as he could, and squeaked out, "Please, Haruka-san, the Male Forces do not have any contact with women and I really don't know what to do next!" Minato blinked slightly, then let go. She looked at him, a little unbelieving. "You mean you've never even kissed a girl?" Tsukumo shook his head. Minato smiled, a little evilly. "Do you want Minato-sensei to teach you?" Tsukumo blinked a couple times, and shook his head to clear his thoughts. It didn't work. "Um… Ah… Er…" Minato frowned slightly. "Is that a no?" Tsukumo breath hitched a bit. "Er… no… I mean…" Minato placed her hands on her hips. "Well, what do you mean?"

Tsukumo took a deep breath and whispered, "I'm not against it." Minato smiled. "Okay." She lowered her voice to a sensual whisper. "First… Close your eyes." She was practically grinning as she watched Tsukumo do exactly as told, his brown eyes now obscured from view. "Next… Lean forward." He did so, feeling a little strange. "Like this?" Minato nodded. "Yes. You're doing well. Now…" She grasped his hands. She slowly moved his right hand to one of her hips, and his left to the other. "Place your hands here… and here…" Tsukumo's eyes popped open, as he was sure that he was touching Minato's hips, and his fingers were definitely not in an appropriate place. He gulped. "There?!?" Minato reached up and pushed his eyelids down, her voice rising a bit. "No, don't open your eyes!" She lowered her voice again. "That's better… Now… Is your heart pounding?" Tsukumo nodded slightly. Minato smiled happily. "Mine too… Ready?" Tsukumo didn't even nod; she knew he was by his sharp intake of breath. Minato raised herself on her toes; closing her eyes as her lips made contact with the Jovian's.

Almost a full minute passed with just that simple touch, then Minato pulled away, her eyes reopening. She smiled slightly at the man before her. "That's all there is to it," she whispered. Tsukumo was blushing, but not too hard. His breath was ragged, as if unable to keep up with his heart. He raised his hands to Minato's arms and quickly kissed her again. Nothing more but lips on lips, but this sudden act by the shy Jovian surprised Minato to widen her eyes. After a moment, she softened, and closed her eyes, wrapping her arms around his torso. After they pulled away again, they just stood, embracing.

Akito pointed towards the door. Yurika nodded, and the two Martians scuffled out of the cafeteria.

The two Martians walked through the halls in silence. After about ten minutes, Yurika stopped suddenly. Akito stopped and turned to her. "Why'd you stop?" Yurika blinked slowly, obviously thinking deeply. "This is the door to my room, Akito." Akito nodded. "Oh. Okay." He turned away, heading for his own room. "See you tomorrow then."

"Akito." The seriousness in Yurika's voice made Akito stop completely and turn around. She was looking at the floor in front of her, and hands clasped together. "I was just wondering… If you're ready to watch the last episode of Gekiganger… Maybe you're ready to make a decision?" She swallowed. "About me?"

Akito looked down. 'Am I ready to make a decision about her? I mean… Do I love her? Do I? Don't I? Which is it? Yes or no? Yes or no!' Memories flew through his mind. Yurika playing with the machine and accidentally starting it. Their first kiss, ending in him vomiting. Yurika leaving Mars, his parents dying, and Akito being left without a friend in the world. He swallowed. "I…" He glanced down to see a Jovian girl squatting on the floor, watching them intently.

"Uh, Yukina!" he cried, jumping back. Yurika's blue head shot up, and then smiled embarrassedly at her. "What're you doing here?" Yukina stood up. "I'm looking for Oniichan. He hasn't come back to our room." Yurika nodded. "He's in the cafeteria."

Akito squeaked. "Yurika, I don't think that's such a good idea!" Realization dawned on the green-eyed girl and she jumped in front of Yukina. "On the other hand, maybe you should wait a bit!" Akito nodded quickly. Yukina raised her eyebrows at the pair. "What're you talking about…" She looked over Yurika's shoulder and grinned. "Hi, Oniichan!" The two Martians glanced back to Tsukumo, who was walking up with a big goofy smile on his face. They both let out a sigh of relief.

~*~

"You mean… we found it?" asked Genichiro, his dark eyes widening at the words his superior just lent him. Kusakabe nodded. "Yes. Our excavations on Mars have finally paid off. We have found the Lost City." One side of his mouth turned up. "We can finally replenish our supply of Phase Transition Engines and Leap tools."

Genichiro looked away. "And how will this effect the peace talks?" asked he quietly. 'And Yukina… and Tsukumo.' Kusakabe turned back to him. "Once word of our success at finding the Artifact reaches the ears of the War Council, all plans for peace will no doubt be extinguished." He stared off into space for a moment, and then turned back to the longhaired man. "I will be leading peace negotiations personally." He started to leave the room, but stopped and laid a hand on Genichiro's shoulder. "I have a special job for you, Tsukiomi." One of Genichiro's eyebrows shot up. "A special assignment?"

~*~

Everyone went to lunch after episode thirty-eight was aired in the marathon, leaving Akito and Tsukumo alone in the screening room. Tsukumo sighed slowly. "It's too bad Gekifest is almost over. It was a lot of fun." Akito nodded. "But, the way I see it, the peace talks are a continuation of Gekifest. After we all have peace, we can go back to our lives, back to things like this." He smiled slowly to himself, thinking privately of the day two and a half weeks ago. When he was just having fun with his friends.

Tsukumo nodded. "Not everything will be same. But that's to be expected. At least it will be better. Akito was quiet at this. 'Will it? Will the way things are be better after the war is over? I… never really thought about it.'

As if reading his thoughts, Tsukumo turned to him. "Tell me. What are you planning to do after the war?" Akito looked away. "I haven't really thought that far ahead." Tsukumo looked down, smiling. "I want to start a family, with the woman I love." Akito's eyebrows knit. "You sound so sure of yourself." Tsukumo nodded a bit. "I guess… when you find the woman you love, the path to happiness is easy to find."

Akito looked away, thinking. 'The woman I love…'

~*~

Not twenty minutes later, the crew was back in the screening room, and Yurika was smiling at the cook. "It's the last episode, Akito." Akito took a deep breath and nodded. But before the episode itself could actually start, the opening credits disappeared, replaced by the image of Ruri. "Kanchou, a Jovian fleet has appeared in front of the ship." The crew was on the bridge in less than five minutes, anxious to see what was going on and a little nervous as well.

~*~

A light on Megumi's console flashed. She positioned her hand above it. "Incoming message from the main ship, Kanchou." Yurika nodded. "Patch it through, please." Megumi flipped the switch as easily as breathing. A large window appeared. "I am Admiral Kusakabe Haruki of the Superior Male Forces. I have been ordered by my superiors to being the peace negotiations as soon as possible." Yurika nodded. "I will gather a team and we will board your ship to start the peace talks." The window disappeared.

~*~

With the Hinagiku being towed by Tsukumo's Daimajin, there wasn't any need for a pilot with them. Akito came with them, anyway, mostly by the request of Yurika, but also as Hory informed him that something just might happen. He was a bit uneasy about how, even though they had sent two ambassadors, they had requested for their group to come to them. Minato wasn't worried in the least bit, in fact, she was happy. "I'm so glad we have Shiratori-san to act as a go-between!" She smiled brightly. Hory shook his head. "Keep your guard up, I still don't trust these people." Minato gave him a sidelong glance. "Do I detect a certain hint of jealousy?" Hory closed his eyes. "I don't mix business and pleasure." Minato scoffed. "Oh, so you wouldn't tell someone you had been intimate with to get off the ship, now, would you?"

Yurika's eyebrows knit, and she pulled her knees up. "I don't feel very comfortable right now…"

~*~

Yurika's jaw dropped when she read over the requirements they had handed them. "What are these?" Kusakabe brushed her off. "Oh, just some preliminary paperwork."

Hory didn't just let it go as preliminary paperwork. "This isn't a peace treaty, it's a terms of surrender! You're asking for a complete disarmament of Earth, not to mention control over our major industries! We can't agree to these!" Akito looked at the Jovian admiral with hate. "And these terms are nonnegotiable?" Kusakabe's face hardened. "That's right."

Tsukumo stood. "I demand that these terms be withdrawn!" Kusakabe glared at the insubordinate lieutenant-captain. "Why should we?" Tsukumo threw down his folder. "Because they love Gekiganger too!" The room grew silent, and Tsukumo continued speaking. "Through Gekiganger we have discovered the common thread that binds all men as brothers. It's the values we share. Courage, Perseverance, Friendship, and Love. They have come here today because they're learned the truth about Gekiganger! There is only one true righteous path!"

Kusakabe smiled maliciously. Akito took his breath in sharply. 'This is nothing like Itsuki's vicious smile. This is just plain cruel.' "You're right. There is…only ONE righteous path!"

A shot rang out. Yurika gasped and clasped her hands at her mouth. Hory's eyes widened and Akito's jaw dropped. A look of pain froze on Tsukumo's face and he pitched forward, falling to the floor with a hollow thud. Minato jumped up and knelt beside him, cradling his head. She let out a choked scream, "Tsukumo!"

Akito stood, shaking his head quickly. "You bastard! Why did you shoot him!?" 'He was my friend! Do all of my friends have to be pried from me?!'

Behind the wall, Genichiro walked away, dropping the now empty gun. 'I have accomplished my task. Now, I must deal with my guilt. Alone.' He shook his head, his eyes welling up. 'With one action, I have lost all my friends.'

Kusakabe didn't even move. "The Evil Empire must be destroyed. That is the central theme of Gekiganger! Thos who oppress must be eliminated! We must destroy the Evil Earth battalion and wipe their oppressive existence from the universe!" Akito took a step back. "You… you think WE'RE the Evil Empire?"

On the floor, Minato shook her head, not even noticing that she was getting Tsukumo blood on her at all. "Who cares who's right or wrong? Can't you see Tsukumo's dying? Please, help him!"

Hory kicked the gun out of the guard behind him's hands. "Tenkawa!" Akito caught the hint, and the gun. He let fire loose on all the other guards.

~*~

Jun's eyebrows knit together. "Why are they firing at us?" Yukina almost fell down from the force of the blast. "I don't know, but you gotta do something, Aoi-san!" Jun nodded and issued the order to Ruri. "I want all Aestivalises launched! Tell them to only engage if they must!"

~*~

Hory carried the hardly-breathing Tsukumo on his back as the group ran off to get onto the Hinagiku. Minato kept up with him best she could, making sure Tsukumo was all right and feeling slightly regretful for making fun of Mr. Hory before their journey to the Jovian ship. Yurika tailed the closely, Akito behind them taking down any Jovian guard that chased them.

~*~

Itsuki disabled yet another jiro, and exclaimed, "Why are they attacking us while Akito and the others are having peace talks?" Ryoko pushed herself through at least five of the yellow robots and fired her gun at two more. "Temptation?"

On the Nadesico, Jun and Yukina were trying their best to stay on their feet. On the level below them, Ruri turned in her seat. "Aoi-san, our shields can't take much more of this." Omoikane was controlling the console with a slight hum. Another blast rocked the ship. Jun held onto the captain's controls. "Then pull out, immediately!"

Megumi gasped as Ruri reported the error of Jun's order. "That would mean deserting Kanchou and the away team." The ship rocked again, and Jun's eyes widened. 'Save Yurika and die… or save us all and leave them behind…'

~*~

Hikaru was the first to notice the two figures in the dust cloud. She scanned them and they turned out to be Akito's pink Aestivalis and the Hinagiku. "It's Akito and the away team!" she exclaimed. Ryoko nodded. "Cover that shuttle!"

There may have been six Aestis out in the battle, but trying to destroy the enemy and to keep the Hinagiku safe at the same time soon overwhelmed them. Gai blinked as he saw a bright light, somewhat far from the Nadesico. He immediately identified it and gave the order. "Gravity Blast Cannon! Scatter!" The other pilot's followed his lead without asking a single question. The shot destroyed a large amount of the armada before them, enough for the Aestivalises and the Hinagiku to get on the Nadesico, not to mention a little shuttle of the new ship.

~*~

A communications window appeared before the bridge as Jun realized he could stand on his own. The window held Akatsuki and Erina. "Hey, aren't you going to thank us for bailing you out?" Jun's eyebrows knit. "Why did you…"

Akatsuki shrugged. "Hey, we have the same enemy, so that makes us on the same side." Jun looked down. 'But we are also enemies.'

~*~

Yurika jumped off the Hinagiku and ran straight for the bridge. Inez came from the landing deck and helped Hory get Tsukumo onto a stretcher. She pulled it away quickly, heading straight for the infirmary. Minato pulled it faster than Inez was. "Tsukumo, Tsukumo please hold on!"

Inez was speaking into her communicator. "Prepare for surgery and have the anesthesia waiting for us! We have to get a bullet out of him! Also, I want Hoshino in there immediately! I'll need her hands!"

~*~

On the bridge, Ruri got the message from one of the hospital attendants and rushed to the infirmary. Omoikane sat in her seat. Yurika stood before her controls and ordered, in a somewhat demanding tone, "Omoikane, charge up the Phase Transition Cannon!" Prospector jumped up and looked at the captain in horror. "But if we fire the PT Cannon all hopes of peace will be lost!" Yurika closed her eyes, a definite frown on her face. "It's too late. Peace is an idea of the past. No more games."

Omoikane turned in his seat, not touching the console, but the electric blue lights still shining in his eyes. "Are you sure, Kanchou? Are you absolutely sure?" Yurika nodded slowly. The robot turned and commanded the computer to charge the devastating cannon.

~*~

A soldier on the battleship announced, in a very quick voice, "The Nadesico is charging their PT Cannon!" Kusakabe smiled. "Just as well. Prepare for Leap back to the Kagurazuki!"

~*~

"Boson particles detected in main battleship. It's Jumping away," reported Omoikane, as stoic as Ruri would ever be. Yurika glared out the view screen at them. "Fire the PT Cannon!"

~*~

In the infirmary, after the surgery, Inez stood by, squeezing an IV bag filled with blood. "Minato…" She looked at the shocked woman. "He might not make it." She shook her head. "No…"

Inez turned to the silver-haired girl. "Hold your hands over his wound, but do not touch it. Concentrate on closing it please." She glanced at the IV bag before squeezing it again. "He's lost a lot of blood, and I'm not sure this will replenish it in the least bit."

Ruri felt just plain dumb in following the blonde's orders, but she did as told, holding her hands over the wound and closing her eyes, concentrating on closing it and making the blood flow stop. Whatever she did, it made Tsukumo awaken. Inez looked on knowingly as Ruri's Nanomachine markings started to glow golden.

Yukina ran back into the room, various people following after her. She held the Gekiganger figure in her brother's vision. "Look Oniichan! I brought you your favorite Gekiganger! If you get well, I swear I will never make fun of it again!" He smiled painfully at the young girl. "I know you won't, Yukina."

He shifted his gaze from the girl to the woman standing there. "Minato…" His hand came out from under the blanket, holding a small black box, some of it covered in his blood. She grasped the box and opened it, and sharply in took her breath as she saw the simple diamond ring inside. She let loose a sob and her eyes welled up. She focused onto Tsukumo's face. "The answer is yes." He smiled.

Ruri noticed that he was gaining strength as she concentrated, and focused her whole being on her hands, which were growing very warm.

Tsukumo moved his head to the other side and glanced at the Martian standing there. "Hey, Tenkawa-san. I guess I won't be able to watch the last episode with you." Akito shook his head, his own brown eyes starting to well up. "It's okay. Just work on healing, please." Hikaru, standing next to him nodded quickly. "You're one of us, Tsukumo-chan," added the redhead, tacking on the endearment suffix as she did to everyone's name. He smiled at her. "Amano-san. Don't ever feel scared to show who you are on the inside." Hikaru's breath became intense. 'How did he know that I hide…'

He glanced to the man who looked like him. "Daigoji-san." He grimaced for a moment. Ruri's eyebrows knitted together in the effort to keep concentrating. He face relaxed again. "I'm sorry that… we couldn't see what you saw." Gai nodded slowly, coming closer to the bed. "Don't worry about things like that." Tsukumo shook his head. "You were right all along. But… don't ever give up on something, because it didn't go your way." Gai understood his words perfectly. 'I must be very obvious in my feelings… There's no other way he could have known that.'

His head rolled back to face Minato. A tear trailed down his face. "I'm so sorry about this, Minato." On the other side of the bed, Ruri's hands twitched. They were becoming very hot. Minato shook her head, his hand that had held the box in her lap. She pulled the hand up to her face, resting it on her face. She hiccupped and a spatter of tears fell onto her skirt. "Tsukumo, please don't die on me. I couldn't bear it," she whispered, not sensuality in her husky voice this time.

Ruri's lips started to twitch now. Her hands were growing unbearably hot. "Miss Fressange…" she whispered. The blonde shook her head. "You're doing fine, Ruri. Keep concentrating."

Tsukumo's eyebrows knit, and he smiled painfully at the woman he loved. "Minato, I'm sorry… I don't think I can promise that." She started to breathe uncontrollably, almost hyperventilating. He blinked slowly. "But… I love you, Minato." She hiccupped again, unable to speak. "I love you now, and I'll love you always." Another one of his tears fell. "I'll…" He felt his body start to fail him. His eyes widened.

Ruri, unable to keep up the pace, fell to her knees beside the bed, holding her hands. She promptly passed out. Inez sat down, beside the girl, and held her head in her lap. "You did your best Ruri. That's what matters."

Tsukumo tried to take in breath, but it was becoming more difficult by the second. "T… t… take… care of… Yu… Yuki…" His heart meter read a flat line. Minato's eyes widened and she started to shake uncontrollably. "Tsukumo…" His hand fell from her cheek and back into her lap, limply. "No…"

Unexpected, from the other side of the bed, Gai let out a near animal yell. "No!" He grabbed Tsukumo's other hand from under the sheet and squeezed it. "I can't just let a friend die!"

Even more unexpected, in a flash of light orange, the heart meter started up again, but this time, Tsukumo's face was screwed into a look of utter torture. Minato could feel little sparks travel through her skirt as static electricity. She started to shake much more violently.

Inez stood and slowly made Gai let go of Tsukumo's hand. As soon as the contact ended, the seizure did as well, leaving Tsukumo as dead as he was a moment ago. Minato covered her face with her hands. Akito covered his face and ran from the room, weeping softly. Gai left slowly, trying to keep down his anger.

~*~

Genichiro looked at his right hand, still unable to understand what compelled him to follow the order to fire the shot that killed his best friend. Kusakabe didn't seem to have any guilt behind the matter. "Do not mourn Shiratori Tsukumo. He was a traitor and an Earth-sympathizer." Genichiro nodded, not believing a word of it. Kusakabe continued talking, somewhat proud of the incident he staged. "We will tell the people that he was assassinated by United Earth agents. That will guarantee that there are no more calls for peace. It seems Shiratori will be much more useful dead than alive." Kusakabe smiled evilly at the longhaired man. "Thank you for killing him."

~*~

Akito ripped a poster from the wall in the cafeteria. "Dammit! Damn this stupid robot show to hell!" He stopped a moment, then kept his eyes down, his knees shaking. "Why am I so blind? Baka! Why couldn't see what we right in front of me? How could I be so stupid? I saw what I liked, and didn't think any farther… Why didn't I consider how others might see it?" His tears took over again, and he slumped to the floor, leaning against a table leg.

Gai came into the room, opening a door full of light into the darkened room. He shivered. The room was almost unbearably cold. Akito looked up with reddened eyes. Gai walked over to him and petted his hair. Akito closed his eyes at the touch and sniffed. Gai handed him a tissue box. Akito took the box, but said and did nothing.

Not caring what would happen, Gai wrapped his arms around Akito, pulling the Martian into a consoling hug. Akito thought nothing of it, nothing of the incident two weeks ago. He sobbed into Gai's shoulder. Gai ran a hand through Akito's hair, feeling the softness and cursing his stupidity in his silence.

After a few long moments, Akito finally pulled away and blew his nose. It was when the soft paper touched his nose that he remembered how awful Gai was to him, saying that secrets should not be kept from people, but being a hypocrite the whole time. He glared at the Earthling. "What do you think you're doing," asked he in a cold voice. Gai shook his head. "Akito, this isn't the time for this." Akito left, giving him the cold shoulder. "You should have thought of that a long time ago."

Gai growled at the Martian's words. 'Crying over spilt milk will do you no good. I can't go back in time and change things, though I wish I could.'

~*~

Just inside her room, Yurika could swear that she knew what was going on in the cafeteria at the same time. She hugged herself. 'All hopes for peace were dashed… and the man Minato loved was killed. How much more must this war effect us before we can't take it anymore, and do something so drastic, we will regret it?' "How much more until we all become raving lunatics that have to be destroyed to be safe? How much longer until we destroy each other? How much longer before we can't trust a single person?" 'How much longer until we all die…'

TBC…

~*~

A/N: I'M SO SORRY!!! I lied. Okay, my computer is definitely getting shut off tonight, so I will definitely not be writing for the next two weeks or so. But at least I gave you this, eh? Anyway. Oh my god Tsukumo's death was so cliché and craptacular… not to mention sappy and sad. ;; Anyway. Did anyone else notice the blatant foreshadowing in this? Ugh! So obvious! Anyway. So… Akito seems to want to forgive Gai on the inside, but his temper is keeping him from doing so, it seems. And Itsuki and Ryoko? Who the fuck knows. And how did Tsukumo know so much about the crew's mentality? What the hell did Inez have Ruri doing? What happened between Gai and Tsukumo that made him have an after-death seizure? Oh, and Ruri and Yukina don't seem to be becoming good friends at the moment, are they? ^^ Anyway, next chapter… well, shit. Next chapter's going to be as confusing as fuck, and then we realize (a piece of) why Erina said last chapter that Inez had a "thirst for chaos". Anyway… um… a lot of Boson Jump explaining… and… other shmuff that will want you people to have chapter 18 and 19 smashed together, but we just can't have it that way. ^^ Well, I'll see you in two weeks or so with the end of the beginning, or the beginning of the end. Review as always!


	18. The beginning of the end...

A/N: Wow, it's been a while, hasn't it. Anyway, first off, I'll do the best I can with this one, but I'm a little out of shape in my writing, so don't scream at me. Um, what else? Um… I don't know. Since the death of Audiogalaxy, and my lack of music since the robbery, which left my computer missing, there won't be a good playlist going on. Sorry. ("You Get to Burning" from Nadesico, "What's up Guys" from Sorcerer Hunters, "Cruel Angel's Thesis" by Megumi Hayashibara, "Shinma no Koku" from Vampire Princess Miyu, and the opening themes for both Tenchi Muyo and Charmed.) Okay, I'm sure you people are expecting the complete explanation of Boson Jumping, but I'm sorry. It just simply won't be complete. Get over it. That, and the story of Ai, which is actually next chapter, I believe, will be brief. The focus is the end of the war. So, without further ado, Chapter 18!

~*~

Genichiro stood, looking off into the vast distance of space from the Reigetsu. 'It's been nearly twelve hours. Twelve hours, since I killed my best friend.' His face bore no expression, but his silence bore his emotions clearly.

"And now, in honor of our slain hero, Captain Shiratori Tsukumo, the Commander of the Jovian Federation Superior Male Forces, Vice Admiral Kusakabe Haruki would like to say a few words," heard Genichiro, but he only looked down at the picture frame in his hand. On the outside was Nanako, but on the inside was a picture of the three of them; himself, Tsukumo and Yukina. He was holding his foot, and Yukina had a triumphant smile on her face. She had stepped on his foot. This picture would normally make him smile, and remember the good times they used to have before the war.

'Before I killed him. It is just a reminder of what I have done.' Kusakabe could be heard from everywhere of the citizen ship. "My friends! Our mission is to bring about peace in the universe, and build a prosperous future for all of humanity. We do not seek war. There is no sense in killing each other, when there are more peaceful ways to achieve a resolution. But when the United Earth government answered our proposal for peace by the cowardly murder of our ambassador, Captain Shiratori Tsukumo, then the time for talking is past! Let us never forget that there is only one true righteous path!" The ship erupted in cheers for the commander. "We must not lose! We must defeat the evil earth and our oppressors. In Episode 39, we saw what happened when good and evil collide. Righteous will always prevail! Now let's recite together our slogan for justice!" It could be heard everywhere. Even on the empty deck Genichiro stood on. "Let's Gekiga-In!"

Genichiro held the picture of them outside the frame now. 'They all have no clue about what truly happened. Earth wanted to have peace. Tsukumo knew that. It was not the Earth woman that poisoned him. It was Kusakabe that poisoned me.' He silently ripped the picture in half, separating himself from Tsukumo and Yukina. 'It will be in her best interests that I never see her again.' He looked again to the stars. 'Tsukumo had his own brain. Why didn't I see it before? I always followed the teachings blindly, but he questioned if they were right. And they are not.' He sighed. 'I suppose now we must just fight to end this war. Damn you, Kusakabe. You ruined my life.'

~*~

Before long, Inez escorted Akito, Yurika, Ryoko, and Itsuki to the Kakitsubata. She would not explain on the Hinagiku why Akatsuki and Erina requested their presence. This made Ryoko somewhat agitated when they stood in the sister ship's hangar bay with no greeting.

"Hey! What's the big deal? You invited us to your ship, dammit! So why isn't there somebody here to greet us?" Itsuki sighed and shook her head, tapping her foot impatiently. A communications window showing Erina popped up. "What am I, chopped liver?" queried the secretary. Yurika raised an eyebrow. "Chopped liver?"

"I'd apologize, but we don't have much time," continued Erina. Itsuki whispered, "Time?" Inez closed her eyes. "We better begin immediately. Akito, Kanchou, I'll explain the how and why part later. Now, I just want you to focus your thoughts on Mars."

~*~

"The Kakitsubata has created a Boson Jump field," reported Ruri, relieving Omoikane of the post. "What?" yelled the crew. "They're trying to jump their entire ship?" demanded Mr. Hory.

"Boson Jump field has stabilized," announced Ruri. Megumi seemed upset. "No way! There are hundreds of people on board!" She attempted to connect to their communications. "Kakitsubata! Come in, Kakitsubata! Can you read me?"

~*~

On the other ship, the hangar began to grow dark. So dark that Ryoko and Itsuki could no longer be seen. Akito gasped. "What's this? Miss Fressange…" The doctor answered him, "I want you to think back." Akito and Yurika turned to her to see glow dark green. "Do you remember Mars, Akito, Kanchou? What it was like? Try to remember what it was like growing up on the Utopia Colony." She promptly disappeared in a flash of green light.

Yurika looked at her hands to find little silver lines forming on them. "Akito… I'm getting all sparkly!" stammered Yurika, disappeared in a silver light. Akito's eyes widened as he started to glow light blue. "Yurika!" He also faded from sight.

~*~

"Boson readings on the Kakitsubata," added Ruri. Megumi seemed frantic. "No response! They still won't answer me! Akatsuki-san! Akatsuki-san!" Her eyebrows snapped together, almost audibly. "Hey, pick up the radio, you jerks!"

~*~

Meanwhile, Akatsuki and Erina sat on the bridge of the Kakitsubata. It was announced that the test subjects could not be found. "Keep monitoring your screens! This is a major event!" ordered Akatsuki. "I'm trusting you, Tenkawa."

"They're back!"

~*~

Yurika, Akito and Inez were on the Observation deck of the Kakitsubata. The colorful and colorless space of the Jump could be seen outside the windows. Inez chuckled. "It seems that even while Boson Jumping, people instinctively want to see the scenery as the travel. Do you remember when we woke up on the Observation deck when we Jumped to the Moon?"

Yurika snapped her fingers. "When I woke up and you were there with Akito! How could I forget! They were saying so many mean things to us. Miss Fressange, are you saying-"

"I don't know yet," interrupted she. "But we're going to try to find out. Let's try again. Both of you, visualize Mars and the Utopia Colony. Anything about it will do." The bright lights started to appear as Akito squinted to concentrate on the place where he was born. Slowly, he felt a bright flash inside him.

~*~

Affirmative signs flashed all through the bridge of the Kakitsubata. Akatsuki cheered ecstatically. Erina clasped her hands in front of her chest. "They made it!"

"Here we go!" cried Akatsuki.

~*~

Megumi was still trying to reach the Kakitsubata, but to no avail. "The Kakitsubata has successfully Boson Jumped," reported Ruri. Prospector nodded. "They must be headed for Mars. This began on Mars, and I'm fairly sure it will all end on Mars as well. Aoi-san, set us on course to Mars." Jun nodded, playing captain.

~*~

Akatsuki watched on as the Kakitsubata exited a Chulip, the barren Martian wasteland stretching as far as the eye can see. "Hmm, so this is where they remember. Not much to look at." He glanced at his cousin, a smirk forming across his lips. "I'll doubt you could get between them now, Erina, dear."

Erina whipped her head around, a bright blush revealing her embarrassment. "Are you trying to insult me, you hypocritical bastard?" retorted the secretary, causing Akatsuki to roar in laughter. She sighed and called to the Observation Deck. "Miss Fressange, Captain Misumaru, come to the Guest Lounge as soon as possible."

~*~

"It's unforgivable!" Erina sighed at Yurika's immediate outburst to Akatsuki. It was so typical. "If that Jump hadn't worked, your crew could have been killed! Not to mention our pilot representatives!"

Itsuki examined her fingernails, seeming bored with this conversation. Her tone, however, spoke of otherwise. "It wouldn't be very professional for you to kill off a competitor, now would it, Akatsuki, darling?" Erina smirked at Akatsuki now, noting the indignant flash of anger in his eyes. Akatsuki glared at his cousin before facing the captain again. "Our crew knew and accepted the risk. Besides, we didn't die, and that's what matters."

Yurika shook her head. "That's beside the point!" Akatsuki held up a finger, silencing her. "Oh, settle. This was a major breakthrough for mankind. Of course," he waggled his eyebrows at her, "you can scold me in private later." Yurika sat down, still seething.

Inez shook her head. Apparently Akatsuki would always be the perverted bastard he was as a teenager. He turned to her. "And your verdict, Doctor?" Inez smiled, but looked forlorn. "Yes, it is a breakthrough, but… something bothers me." Everyone in the room blinked, anticipating a continuation. "If Boson Jumping is a way of transporting things through space instantaneously, it goes against our theory of relativity, that the speed of light something to be measured. Our entire laws of physics could be wrong. But, again, I don't know."

Akatsuki seemed thoughtful. "Then I supposed it might be answered at the burial site." Itsuki's eyebrows jumped into her bangs. "Burial site?" Akatsuki nodded. "At the pole."

~*~

Ryoko sat down on the metallic floor of the Kakitsubata's hangar bay. "So… we just Boson Jumped. Why do I feel sick?" She held a hand over her mouth, the taste of vomit swelling over her tongue.

"Just don't puke on me." Ryoko looked up to see Akito standing over her. Ryoko smiled wickedly. "How about your shoes?" Akito shivered, an act that was strange seeing him do. "You taking Wicked Witch lessons from Itsuki or something? That looks like her smile."

Ryoko shook her head, patting her floor beside her. "Nope, just piano lessons." Akito complied, plopping to the floor unceremoniously. "How are things between you two, anyway?" Ryoko hugged her knees. "Great, actually. I never knew lesbianism was so much fun. No wonder Hikaru and Izumi are bi. Then again, who isn't bi or gay nowadays?" She turned to the cook. "Or is this a delicate subject and I'm about to get cussed out too?"

Akito closed his eyes, his slight smile fading. "I never wanted to get so upset with someone like that… It's just that, he lied to me!"

"Did not. He just kept something from you. He thought you would leave him if he told you, and then you did. Doesn't do much for the old self esteem."

Akito sighed. "I can't do anything now, Ryoko. It's over. I'm not going to cry over spilled milk." Ryoko glared at him. "It seems like you are." She stretched her legs out, leaning on her arms. "I enjoy your company, Akito. You're smart and funny, but not so obsessive as Izumi. I think that's why I thought I was in mad love with you. But now we don't even see you at breakfast anymore, Akito. Are you going to abandon all of us because of something between the two of you?"

Akito reopened his eyes, staring out into space with half-lidded eyes. "Am I that important to you?" Ryoko stood and fisted her hands on her hips. "Akito, you really are as arrogant as Akatsuki. You're one of us, dammit. We all love you both, and we really hate that you've been avoiding us, and that Gai's been obscenely quiet since you broke up. At least be our friend again, for Christ's sake." With that, she walked away, leaving Akito sitting on the floor.

~*~

Prospector cleared his throat as they neared the red planet. "Nearly thirty years ago, Nergal came across an ancient burial ground while tunneling a mine. An ancient city, if you will. This is where we found the PT Engine, the Distortion Field, and the Chulip Crystals. At the bottom, however, was something that… we never did expect. Something… very active."

Jun swallowed his ramen and raised his chopsticks in question. "Is there some kind of extreme weapon in this ruin? Is that why-" He just then noticed Uribatake about to steal some of his noodles. He pulled his bowl and away and glared at him as a chopstick from the other side of the room slapped Uribatake on the side of the head. A confused look from the mechanic made Hikaru, the culprit, burst into giggles.

Prospector shook his head. "The device we found was not a weapon. It was made entirely of the same materials as the Chulips and Chulip Crystals. And, to make it more interesting, whenever a Boson Jump occurs, there is a surge of energy through the device itself!"

Ruri nodded. "So it's a mechanism that controls Boson Jumping. That's why everyone wants it."

~*~

Erina touched the window. "If we could just control Boson Jumping, we could not only end the war, but we could go anywhere in the universe! Instant teleportation will dominate the transportation world. It will do nothing less than change our world."

Ryoko, standing on the other side of Akito, leaned against the glass. "Imagine the new size of Erina's paycheck." Akito sniggered as Erina glared at the two of them. Ryoko didn't laugh, however. She looked over her shoulder at the Martian landscape. "This is where you were born, eh, Akito?"

Erina looked out the window as well, smiling slightly. "The Utopia Colony. I'm a little jealous." Akito glanced at Erina, taking off guard by her statement. "It bonds you with the captain."

Ryoko nodded. Everyone on the ship knew everyone else's business, so it was no new gossip that Erina wanted Yurika, badly. "Shared memories…" She smiled, imagining Erina squirming with anger at Akito. It was a funny image.

Akito figured out what was going on. "Wait a minute! It isn't like that! Not at all! I don't want that nut bar anymore than I want to jump off a cliff! No no no no no-" He was silenced by both Erina and Ryoko punching him in the stomach.

"Oh, just stop sitting on the fence and admit it!" preached Erina. "You want her and you know it, you stupid asshole!" fumed Ryoko, her previous rage fed once again. They pulled away and let him slump to the ground.

"The Nadesico has entered Martian atmosphere and is now awaiting confirmation of the Kakitsubata's location."

"Give it to them," ordered the secretary, miffed at Akito's stupidity.

Yurika and Akatsuki walked onto the deck. Erina turned to her cousin. "About time, Nagare. The Nadesico is on her way." Akatsuki smiled viciously. "Excellent."

Yurika glanced at the body that was Akito on the floor. "Is he okay?" queried the girl, slightly worried that, by some chance in hell, they had killed him. Ryoko scratched the back of her head. "Yeah, he'll live." She tapped Akito with her foot, making him grunt.

Akatsuki stepped in front of Yurika. "Now, Kanchou, we're going to have to work together. We can't let the Jovians get those ruins. This plan has many flaws, but we'll have to go along with it, so just stick to the plan and it will be all right."

Yurika smiled. "I understand. I wouldn't have agreed to work with you if I couldn't be myself."

~*~

At the strategy meeting on the Nadesico, Yurika revealed the bad news, much less happy now than before. "So this is going to be a joined effort with Nergal." The first to break the silence was Jun. "Oh great." Yurika sighed. "It's not like we have any other choice. Ruri," she turned to the young girl, "display all of the opposing forces and their time of arrival." Ruri complied, displaying the UE forces first. "Earth is, apparently, sending all of their remaining ships to Mars. They will arrive in about half a day."

Omoikane, on the other side of the table, barely blinked. "And for the Jovian Citadels…" A display of the massive ship came on screen. Gai, seated in back, gasped uncharacteristically. "Holy shit!" he cried. A door opened and Yukina stepped in. "That's not an exaggeration either." Even Yurika was impressed. "That's no space station, it's a goddamn moon!" Omoikane already knew of the size and started speaking. "The Jovian forces are also about half a day's journey away."

Yurika blinked. "So Mars will be a battlefield in less than twelve hours!"

~*~

Yurika took a deep breath, clearly not happy with her order. "Ruri, begin charging the PT cannon. Pilots on standby, please."

Ruri nodded, knowing how hard it was for Yurika to condemn anything to the wrath of the PT cannon. "It's for a good cause, Kanchou. And at least we are alive, ourselves." Yurika nodded slowly.

~*~

Sitting in her Aesti, Hikaru sighed. Gai's face popped up. "What's the matter, cutie?" Hikaru shook her head. "I'm just being a loser, ignore me." Gai's eyes narrowed. "Talk, woman." Hikaru bit her lip. "Well, it's just that I don't even now what it is we're fighting anymore." Ryoko's face also popped up. "That's right. Yesterday it's the Jovians and today it's for Nergal. Frankly I'm getting sick of all these arrogant bastards."

Itsuki face popped up next. "I think she is implying something a little more deep." Hikaru nodded sadly. Izumi was last. "I fight for myself and my soul. I fight against despair, for without hopes and wishes, there is no life." Hikaru brightened a bit. "Wow, Izumi. That's good." Izumi smiled. "I'm a poet, and I didn't know it." She giggled. "That was bad, but it could have been verse…" She started to laugh hysterically, making all of the pilots groan.

On the bridge, Megumi smiled. "Izumi's still strange, but I'm glad she's with us." She glanced at the empty seat next to Ruri. "Do you think Minato's okay?" Ruri gave her a sidelong glance. "Omoikane, Aoi-san, and I should be able to cover for her, so that she may think in peace." Megumi nodded, not very satisfied, but didn't argue. 'I hope she gets better soon.'

~*~

Minato wasn't the only one refusing to leave her room; Akito was being just as stubborn. "What the hell are you doing in here, Akito? Get in your goddamn robot!" yelled Itsuki, annoyed with Akito at the moment. "Why should I go fight for Akatsuki and all those assholes at Nergal?"

"I'll tell you why, we have no other choice! This is you time to choose Akito! Fight or die!"

"I'll die, thanks!"

"Stop being an ass!" Itsuki took a deep breath. "You should have more faith in Kanchou, Akito. Of all people, you should know what she means by 'being herself'."

~*~

The front guard of the Jovian forces was destroyed immediately, by a well-aimed shot of a PT cannon. Akatsuki smiled at Yurika's communication window. "Wonderful job, Kanchou. Simply splendid! Now, remember, I want to be the first to enter the ruin, all right?" Yurika simply nodded. "Teamwork is about cooperation and taking charge of your own task!"

The Kakitsubata fired their Gravity Blast cannon, pushing their way through the Jovians. It was time, again, to fire the PT cannon. Yurika smiled this time. "Ruri, get ready to fire the PT cannon." Ruri nodded. "Only this time," Yurika grinned happily, "aim this shot for those ruins!"

Akatsuki heard the order over his radio and he scrambled to get a message onto the Nadesico's bridge. "What the hell are you doing? Are you out of your mind, Misumaru?" screamed the frantic man. Yurika continued to smile. "Don't you see that if we destroy the ruins, we can end the war right now?"

Ruri interrupted the argument with a report. "The ruins are creating a barrier." Yurika ignored this, of course. The destruction of the ruins was very important, too important to worry about silly matters such as barriers. "Fire the PT cannon at those ruins!" Akatsuki screamed.

The blast went into the ruins, but it was immediately stopped. "The barrier has absorbed the shot, Kanchou," reported Ruri. Yurika's jaw dropped. "F… fire at it again!" she stammered, shocked that a barrier of any kind could absorb the pure destructive force of the unstoppable PT cannon.

The next shot proved futile as well. Yurika shook her head, disbelieving. "No way!" Jun turned around in his seat. "What should we do now?" Yurika glared at the ruins before them. "Fire one more time!"

"We can't!" rang out Ruri. "There's not enough energy, Kanchou. It's just like the Gravity Blast cannon."

Yurika gripped her console. "Fuck fuck fuck…"

~*~

Akatsuki began laughing hysterically. "I knew it! I knew the PT cannon wouldn't hurt it! The ruins are buried under tons of ice and millions of Distortion Fields! I knew it would be fine!"

Erina sighed. "Oh yeah, sure," retorted she, sarcastically. Akatsuki stood and started to walk off the bridge. "Where are you going?"

Akatsuki gave her a dark look. "To have a talk with our dear captain."

~*~

Ruri's eyes widened as she read the results of the enemy scan. "Various Aestivalis forces are being sent from the Kakitsubata." Yurika looked down, her mind twirling. She looked up again and called the order gruffly, "Launch all Aestivalis units!"

~*~

Gai fake yawned as his Aesti left the Nadesico. "Who was actually surprised at these turn of events?" Ryoko shook her head. "Not me. These Nergal types are too predictable for their own good." Itsuki's face popped up, showing her shrugging. "It's getting a bit repetitive, but let's take care of these little bitches already, ne?" Izumi shielded her eyes against the glare of the ice. "Oh look, it's pretty boy himself."

Hikaru spat. "Arsehole." She smiled at her friends. "Let's kill him." Smiles were exchanged between them all, all but Akito.

He ostracized himself once again.

~*~

Akatsuki smiled wickedly at Yurika. "Shame on you, Kanchou. You know those ruins are priceless." Yurika shook her head. "This is all because of the existence of the ruins! If they're destroyed, it will all stop!" Akatsuki scoffed. "Is this what being yourself means? Ha! You're just as naïve as that Gekiganger fan boy!"

Akito's eyes widened in anger. "The hell you say? I've given up on Gekiganger!" Akito started to attack Akatsuki in midair. "And why is that?" asked Akatsuki, calmly.

"It was the simplicity that I liked, and it also let the Jovians justify their actions with dreams of good versus evil!" Akatsuki smirked. "You've finally learned. It was dumb of you to focus on only one anime. In the anime shows I like, both sides had reason for their actions, and there was no good or bad. One man's justice is another man's evil."

Akito shook his head, aware of the tears that pricked his eyes. "This isn't about fucking anime, Akatsuki! It's about a goddamn war that we're all sick of fighting!"

All the other pilots, of Nadesico and Kakitsubata alike stood just watching the two fight. Hikaru sighed. "That's what comes with testosterone… No offense Gai-chan." Gai shook his head. "None taken. Itsuki?" She shrugged. "We sit here and do nothing?"

Ryoko shook her head. "Doesn't look like that's going to happen." They looked in her direction to see her being attacked by the Kakitsubata Aestis.

~*~

Akito's Aestivalis took a brutal blow and started to fall into the ruin. Akatsuki's perused him. "What are you fighting for, Akito? Love? Country? The blue planet Earth? It's nothing but a scam! All this loyalty makes me want to be sick!" Akatsuki pushed his lance into Akito's Distortion Field, intent on breaking it and killing the Martian.

~*~

Jun called to the other pilots. "Ryoko, help Akito, dammit!" Ryoko's view screens were projected to the bridge. "We're fucking busy here!" they could see the Nadesico Aestivalises being throttled by the Kakitsubata Aestivalises. Hikaru cried out, "I thought these bastards were supposed to just sit back and watch!"

~*~

Akatsuki's smirk returned to his face. "It's the end for you, fan boy. Only the strong survive. The weak are merely prey to those superior to them!"

Akito, in fear for his life now, flew around aimlessly, trying to shake Akatsuki. But it was when he was locked on that Inez's face appeared before him. "Try Boson Jumping, Akito." Akito's face lit up in surprise, and it took merely two seconds for the pink Aestivalis to disappear in a flash of light blue light.

Akatsuki's jaw dropped. "He just Boson Jumped!"

On the Kakitsubata, Erina was just as shocked. "And without a Chulip Crystal…"

~*~

"That's correct." The opening clips for Inez's explanation show, 'Naze Nani Nadesico', played on all the view screens in the vicinity.

"Hello, and welcome to this season's last episode of Naze Nani Nadesico. Today, I will explain how Boson Jumping works." Inez smiled slightly, pleased with her latest, and greatest, feat.

Jun tracked her communications device. "She's reporting from 14 kilometers below the surface… Inside the ruin." Mr. Hory's eyebrows furrowed. "In the ruin? How did she get down there?"

Inez's window pulled back to show a board with two men's faces on it. "According to Richard Feynman and John Wheeler, when an electromagnetic wave is emitted, two waves are actually sent out. One is called the Retarded wave, which goes with time, like a television set," she pulled an arrow going to the left from behind her back, " and the other is called the Advanced wave, which goes against time," she pulled an arrow going to the right out. "Normally, the Advanced wave is absorbed by the Retarded wave," she held the Retarded arrow over the Advanced arrow. "But what if there was some form of unknown particle that was not effected by the Retarded wave? This particle would be able to move from the past, to the present, and back again. I have decided to call such a particle, the Retrospect. These ruins, a giant computer, calculate all the movements for Retrospect particles and their Boson Particle attachments from the present to the past. In essence, this computer controls all Boson Jumping and, without, Jumping would be impossible. It is by this theory that I can safely announce that Jumping is not a form of spatial travel, but rather, a form of time travel." She pushed the board out of site.

"However, that's not the only reason I'm down here." She smiled sadly. "Akito…" Akito's eyebrows rose. "There's someone here… that you should meet." The computer started to light up, and a dark green light started to glow. "From Rainbow Elementary's first grade class number five, student number twelve. Her favorite person is her mommy. Her very favorite food is spaghetti and meatballs. Her favorite bedtime story is Cinderella." The light dissipated, and there was sobbing coming from the little girl before her. Inez smiled, but began to cry herself. "It's all right. There's no need to cry anymore. Welcome home, Maboroshi Ai."

~*~

TBC…

~*~

A/N: Wow… that was short and it sucked. Oh well. I told you I'm rusty. So, how did I handle this episode? Well, I hope. Oh, how about that Ryoko and Akito moment? We don't get many of those! ^^ Well, I tried my damnedest to explain Jumping the way I understand it, but hey. The true stars of this episode were definitely Yurika, Akito, and Akatsuki. Oh, you know it. Well, be prepared for the not so stunning conclusion to 'To Die or Not to Die', coming… eventually. As always, review me or die! Thanks! ^^ 


	19. The end of the beginning

A/N: Welp, this is it. The not-so-stunning end to this fanfic. Have you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it? I sure hope so. What do I see here? Ai's story… crud like that… Wow, this Author's Note is rather annoying… Anyway. The only song you HAVE to listen to this time is from this episode, "Itsuka Shinjite". Simply because…. It has the feel of the meaning of the episode in it. What is the meaning? I dunno. Anyway, let's end this and start on a whole new foot. On to the last chapter!

~*~

Gai raised his eyebrows at the retreating gray Aestivalises. "Why are they leaving? We were just fighting!" Erina's faced popped up on all screens. "Well, I doubt you'll be firing on the ruins with both Akito and Inez down there, now will you, Kanchou?"

Yurika bowed her head. "Ruri, call in all Aestivalis units, except Akito's." Ruri nodded.

~*~

Akito sighed as he reached yet another distortion field. "Just how deep is this thing?" Akatsuki pulled out his lance and took a stab at the field. "This cavern is about 10 kilometers deep, with distortion fields placed at every 800 meters. Who do you think the Doctor is going to meet?"

Akito shrugged. "I don't know."

Yurika gasped. "Could it be Ai?" Jun's eyebrows shot up. "That would make sense."

"Of course!" cried all of the pilots. Akito's jaw dropped. "I never thought that it would be Ai… I thought she was dead! But how could Miss Fressange be meeting her?"

Izumi's window grew immediately. "Because the EYES have it!" It disappeared.

On the Kakitsubata, Erina's eyebrows furrowed. "Wait a second, just who is this Ai you are all talking about? Somebody give me an explanation!"

Ruri face popped up, with her holding a Gekiganger doll. "Did you say explanation? Since the Explanation Lady has shut off her communications, I will act as her substitute." The face of Ai traveled as a window in front of Ruri. "Maboroshi Ai is a young girl that Tenkawa-san met at the Utopia colony, and whose apparent death caused Tenkawa-san a great deal of personal anguish. But it would appear as though Ai is not dead."

~*~

"Isn't he coming? I haven't seen him in forever." Inez smiled at the small child next to her as she opened her orange. "Just hold on, he'll be here soon." She picked up a piece of the fruit and started mumbling to herself. "Unfortunately, with all those Distortion Field to break through, it may take him much longer than we expect."

Ai leaned on the woman. "You smell nice, Old Lady." Inez chuckled. "Do I seem that old to you?" Ai nodded. "Just like Okachan and Juveus-sama." She looked up at Inez. "You smell just like Okachan and Juveus-sama! But…" Confusion entered the girl's trouble blue eyes. "Okachan went to sleep then there was this big boom and it was… dark. Then Akito-san started shining really bright, and I knew he was going away, so I yelled for him to wait for me. Then I went to sleep and I awoke up, and I was with Juveus-sama…"

~*~

"Free falling object, approaching, Kanchou!" announced Megumi.

"Object is a Jovian Chulip!" responded one of the Kakitsubata's crew. Erina raised her eyebrows. "They're here already?" A shockwave shook the ship. "We've been hit on our Starboard Engine, Miss Won! Field strength down 20%! We were hit with a Gravity Blast!" Erina quickly opened a window, showing the Chulip. Sure enough, there was a Gravity Blast equipped ship facing them. It fired once again.

~*~

"There are two Phase Transition powered battleships guarding the Ancient City. One of which is the Nadesico!"

Takasugi Saburota smiled. "The Nadesico! Did you hear that, Kanchou?" Akiyama Genpachiro nodded. "It seems that we will be able to fight against that dashing man of action once again!"

~*~

"The Kannazuki has exited the Leap Gate." Genichiro nodded. "Hail the Kannazuki. Tell them to deploy all robots for combat." 'If fighting is the only way to stop the fighting, then let's start the battle.'

~*~

The city around them glowed. A colorless and colorful array of light filled the cavern and dark green lines started to form on Ai's body. She started to cry. Inez patted her back. "It's going to be all right." She switched her Communications back on. "What's going on?"

Megumi's face appeared and she frantically reported, "Miss Fressange, a Jovian Chulip appeared out of nowhere and started sending ships and jiros at us!" Inez nodded. "So the close proximity of their Jumps is what triggered to computer to form another Boson field." Ai looked into the window.

Akito gasped, seeing the little girl. "Ai!" The window gave into static.

Yurika started breathing heavily, her brain running miles. "Ryoko, you and your squad the jiros! Jun, Ruri, charge up the Gravity Blast Cannon!"

~*~

Ai began shining even brighter, the green starting to overcome the room. "Hurry up, Akito…" pleaded Inez.

Akito and Akatsuki hacked away at the last barrier, noting that it seemed stronger than all the others. Akito patched a message to Inez. "We'll be right there, Ai! Just hold on!" Ai sobbed. "Hurry, Akito-san! Hurry!" She glowed even brighter, and then she turned to the woman. "I don't wanna go, Lady. I wanna stay! I wanna see Akito!" Inez's eyes welled up and she took the girl's hands in hers. "You will! Maybe not today, but you will see him again someday! You can't forget him, Ai. His face, his voice. You have to remember these things Ai. Remember what Juveus-sama told you. Memory and knowledge is all we have in the end. You can't forget these things! Promise me you won't forget!"

Ai nodded slowly. "I won't forget, Lady. I promise. I'll never forget Akito-san or Juveus-sama!" She gasped, then reached into her shirt, bringing out a gray, metallic plate. "I almost forgot! She told me to give you this! They asked me to give this to you!" Inez just grasped the plate when, in a flash of dark green light, Ai disappeared, and the bindings holding Inez's hair up let go, her hair flowing freely. Tears tracked down her face as she stood, the blue and pink Aestivalises crashing down to the bottom of the cavern.

Akito hopped out of the cockpit and ran over to Inez. "Miss Fressange, where's Ai?" Inez sighed. "You just missed her. That's why I told you to hurry. But… maybe it's better like this." Akito furrowed his eyebrows. "Just what does that mean?"

Inez smiled. "The first letter of Inez is I, Akito. All that the little girl could remember of her name was 'Ai.' When you Jumped from Mars to Earth, Ai followed. But because she was thinking of you, she got lost, and Jumped to the Martian Empire. At the end of the Martian war, they sent her back to 2198 with a plate. She just Jumped back to the Martian desert, twenty years ago. You knew all of this; you saw it when our minds were connected. When you saw my memories." Akito was speechless. "Didn't you see it, Akatsuki?" Akatsuki nodded. "And all the other pilots, Kanchou, and Ruri saw them too, didn't you?" Itsuki smiled wickedly. "You bet!"

Akito shook his head. "I saw it, but I never ever put the pieces together before!" His eyes welled up. "I'm so sorry, Ai. This is all my fault." Inez chuckled sadly. "It's so nice to finally meet you again, Akito-san." She gave him a hug.

~*~

"All right! All right! I get it! So this is some weird chronological paradox or whatever you call it! Now, if I can tear you away from your soap opera, the Kakitsubata could really use some cover here!" raged Erina.

Omoikane, standing next to Ruri, nodded. "She's right. It's as if the Kakitsubata is being attacked by rabid octopi!"

~*~

Genpachiro smiled as another cloud of smoke left the ND-003. "They say one that hunts two hare loses both. Therefore, we will destroy this vessel before going after the much more formidable Nadesico. Saburota!"

The Executive Officer nodded. "Gekigan-Punch!"

The attack hurt the Kakitsubata even more, to the point where Akatsuki seemed worried for his cousin. "Erina! Abandon ship!" Erina glanced at him, obviously injured. "What?"

"Just go dammit! Get the hell out of here!"

Saburota charged up his Gravity Blast cannon. "Gekigan-Beam!" The Kakitsubata immediately exploded into a ball of fire and smoke. There was silence until Izumi's window popped up. "Here lies Erina Won. Blown to bits along with her ambitions." Erina's face popped up, resulting in many relieved, but annoyed, sighs on the ship. "Hey, I'm not dead!"

Izumi clasped her hands together. "Let's pray!" She started to feign crying. A vein popped out of Erina's forehead. "Hey, I said I'm not dead!" Izumi stopped mourning for a moment to retort, "Yes you are!"

Akatsuki interrupted the argument by giving Erina a distinct order. "Go to Earth, Erina. We'll keep in contact, but we need you there." Erina nodded, not arguing.

~*~

Akito sighed. "I just can't stop thinking it's my fault." Sayuri shook her head. "But it isn't! You mustn't blame yourself." Akito glanced at Inez's sleeping face. "But it's because of me that Ai had to go to Ancient Mars. Because of my Jump, she became a dried-out walking encyclopedia!" Inez's eyebrows snapped together in anger, but she said nothing. Eri patted Akito's shoulder. "You'll be fine, Akito-san." Mikako held up a plate to the Martian cook. "Here, Akito-san, have a rice ball!"

Yurika stood in the doorway, just watching. 'He feels so guilty for Ai. In all this time I kept telling myself he loved me… but now it's certain.' Yurika started to walk away. 'He loves her.'

~*~

"I have to go again, Oniichan." Yukina sat praying in front of a picture of Tsukumo. She glanced up at the face of her brother. "But I swear, I'll make your dream come true!" She stood and left the room.

~*~

"They've gone to silent running inside the ruins, sir." Genichiro blinked. 'That's actually a very effective position. We can't hurt them without taking the ruins out as well.' "Flag the enemy vessel. Order them to surrender the ruins and their ship."

~*~

"If you surrender within thirty minutes, you have my word as the commander of this battle group that your crew with be safely dealt with. Sincerely, the Jovians." Megumi's bright face disappeared.

Prospector pushed his glasses up. "Well, it certainly seems as if we're cornered." Yurika turned to all those in the room. "But we can't surrender the ship, and we can't let Earth or Jupiter get those ruins." She smiled. "So, it's time to drop the big one!"

~*~

Minato glared at the wall, where the last episode of Gekiganger was playing. "How convenient for them to die and resurrect. How he could love something that's so shallow?" She hugged her knees, and Yukina coming into the room interrupted her monologue. The woman turned to her. "Did you want something, Yukina?"

The Jovian girl glared at Minato. "I'd like for you to stop blubbering and act like an adult with responsibilities." Minato looked away. "I can act this way if I want to."

"But you can't! You promised!" Yukina balled her fists. "You'd marry my brother and be my family!"

~*~

"What?" shouted Jun. The princess's eyebrows knit. "Self-destruct?" Yurika smiled at the two of them. "We'll overload the Phase Transition Engines and turn the Nadesico into a bomb! That'll destroy those ruins!"

Akatsuki raised an eyebrow at the captain. "Are you asking us to sacrifice ourselves?" Yurika shook her head. "No! The only one who will still be on the ship, will be me!"

The door leading into the room opened suddenly, and Izumi pushed the How Mei Girls and all the other pilots into the room, so only Izumi and Uribatake stood at the doorway listening now.

Akito stood abruptly and shot a glare at Izumi before pushing towards Yurika. "Wait a second! You can't do that, Yurika! You'll die, nut bar!"

Yurika's eyebrow knit, and she glared back. "Don't be stupid! I won't die!"

"Yes you will!"

"Will not!"

"Will!"

"Will not will not will not!

"Yes you will you DITZ!" The single word made Yurika flinch, and her eyes started to water. She stuck her bottom lip out. Akito pulled back, unsure of what the hell was happening. "W… What's that look mean?"

Prospector and Akatsuki turned to the Martian cook. "You made her cry!" Akito shook his head. "Yeah, well, better crying then dying!"

Yurika looked down. "All I want to do is destroy those ruins and end the war." Jun looked forlornly at her. "But is it worth sacrificing yourself for something weren't not even sure about?"

Akatsuki crossed his arms. "You could just hand the ship over to Nergal, and we'd take care of everything." Erina's face popped up and, looking at Akatsuki, made a disgusted face, then she turned to the other crew, "You can trust us!"

"Never mind the fact that their own space battleship has been destroyed," stated Ruri. All present gasped as they realized how true this was. "Oh, don't pay any attention to what the precocious child is saying."

Akito turned back to Yurika. "In any case, you can't blow the Nadesico up!" Yurika held a hand to her chest. "But it would be worth it! It would systematically end the war!" Akito sighed. "But you'll die, don't you see?"

"Not necessarily." Everyone but Ruri and turned to Uribatake. Ruri glanced at Omoikane, who nodded and blinked. A message posted itself on all screens. "All tactical meetings are confidential, but thanks to Ruri's and Omoikane's generosity, this meeting is being broadcast on the Emergency channel." Then the windows showed Uribatake.

"If what Miss Fressange said is true, then if the computer was destroyed, it would negate all Boson Jumps in the past, present, and future, and our history would change completely." How Mei leaned over the counter in the kitchen to see the window. "Hmm. I wonder how much will be changed."

They suddenly heard a ukulele being played. All eyes fell on Izumi, who looked just as confused. "That… can't be me…" Arming themselves, the crewmembers opened the door, ready to fire. A jiro walked alongside Megumi, who laughed nervously. Jun and Mr. Hory's jaws dropped. "Admiral!"

Admiral Fukube smiled at them. "You can't self-destruct the ship, Kanchou." Prospector was appalled. "We thought you died months ago!"

Fukube held up the victory sign. "Are you upset that I'm still alive? V!" A window showing Inez tidied up and recovered appeared. "I found him in the ruins. Apparently some jiro found him and he was being held as a prisoner of war." He held up the victory sign again. "V!"

Yurika shook her head. "But you were willing to sacrifice yourself for us once!" Fukube got off the jiro and stood, holding the ukulele at his side. "Kanchou, face it. Self-destruction is really, really stupid!"

Yurika sighed in exasperation. "But it will end the war! Why can't any of you see that?" She turned to Ruri, the only person who hadn't opposed her yet. Omoikane stood by her side, electric blue lines shining in his eyes as signs saying one word appeared: No!

"You can't destroy the Nadesico, Kanchou. Not only would the only place I call my home would be destroyed, but we would also lose something as a result."

~*~

"Retrieval of the Calculation Unit nearly complete."

Megumi looked confused. "Are you sure this thing will work on the Nadesico?" Ruri nodded. "It's made from the same material as the Chulips, so it should create a Boson Jump Field on the ship. And, according to Miss Fressange, location has absolutely of effect on the computer." Megumi sighed. "Could you say that in English please?"

Minato sat down at her seat and smiled. "It means that we are never further away than we are in our hearts." The two girls turned to the helmswoman, looking relieved. "Minato!"

"I'm sorry I had you all worried!" Megumi whispered, "Are you… okay?" Minato nodded. "Yes, thanks to Yukina! She told me that if her brother couldn't marry me, that she would!" Minato giggled. "I think it's the thought that counts, and I need to be there for her after this is all over!" Megumi smiled back. "Or vice versa."

Inez's window popped up for Ruri. "We should be able to begin in a minute, Ruri." Ruri nodded. "Of course." She got up and headed in the direction of the Observation Deck, remembering what she had said the their captain. '"We would lose our memories, Kanchou! In the end, that's all we really have. True, the war never would have happened, but we would lose the most precious thing to me. The year of life that I have spent on the Nadesico, despite the fighting and the stupidity of the crew. We would lose the people that have become my friends and family. Memories are very important to me. To all of us. Do you really want to give that away for a peace that may not last as long as we hope? Do you, Kanchou?"' She sat down at the console to the right, Omoikane sat to the left. 'I believe every word I said.'

~*~

Yukina sat praying before her brother's picture again. Only this time, she was smiling. "I'm going to Earth with Minato, Oniichan. That way, you can watch both of us at once!"

~*~

Ariko, in the hangar control room, received the confirmation message from Inez. "Start the sequence, Ariko-chan." Ariko nodded and pushed the appropriate buttons, the colorful and colorless light filling the hangar, where the computer sat.

~*~

"Why did you give them thirty minutes? You're too soft, Tsukuomi!" thundered Kusakabe. Genichiro stood still at the insult. "They took control of the city's interior! They have one of our citizens on board! How can we stop them?" Kusakabe turned purple. "Stop them at once!" Genichiro sighed, and gave into his orders. "Deploy all robots. Target, the Nadesico." He left the bridge to get into his own Daimajin.

~*~

Genpachiro felt very uncomfortable in his Ken costume. "You know, I think this outfit is too tight…" Saburota laughed at his captain. "But you've never looked so dashing, Kanchou!"

~*~

Inez turned to the other two Martians. "All right, let's get this show on the road. Ruri?"

"Boson Particles spreading through the ship."

"Okay, you all know what to do. Think of space. Anywhere in space will do." Within moments green, blue, and silver light flooded the deck. But when the light dissipated, the three Martians still stood there.

"Boson Field was unable to stabilize," reported Omoikane. Inez crossed her arms, thoughtful. "All right, you two are going to have to kiss each other." Akito and Yurika's jaws dropped. "What?"

"You heard me. We'll have to make a Boson Field big enough to accommodate the size of the Nadesico. And without Chulip Crystals to evenly distribute around the ship, we'll need a membrane-to-membrane contact to make the field stronger. And the easiest why to do that is-" Akito blushed. "Is… is kissing?"

Yurika shook her head violently. "No! I won't I won't I won't!" Inez was unfazed. "This is no time to act petulant, Kanchou." Akito nodded. "Yeah, let's just grit our teeth and do it."

"And do it? If that's how you feel about it, you can just kiss Miss Fressange!" Silver lines appeared on herface and she disappeared, Jumping to somewhere on the ship. Inez whipped around to Ruri. "Tracking on Misumaru Yurika!" Ruri nodded. "She in the hangar bay."

~*~

Akatsuki attacked one of the robots. "So only individuals born on Mars and Jupiter can Boson Jump! Tenkawa, the Doctor, and Kanchou! That must mean the Nanomachines in their blood were manipulated by the computer to rewrite their DNA structure!" Erina's face appeared. "That's the gist of it!" Akatsuki groaned. Erina smiled at her cousin from her seat on the Kakitsubata's escape shuttle. "And one of those Martians is Jumping all over the ship while the other chases her!" Akatsuki shook his head. "Typical." Erina chuckled. "They're impossible, but amusing. And what we have is the most precious gift of all. The Jump computer!" She nearly giggled with glee.

~*~

Akito ran into the hangar bay, breathless. "Have you seen Yurika?" he asked Uribatake. "You're damn right I have!" He pointed to Akito's pink Aestivalis. "Why is Kanchou trying to take your Aestivalis?" Akito yelled to the woman. "Please! Yurika! You can't pilot that! You don't have the implant!" The cockpit opened to show Yurika holding up her right hand and sticking her tongue out.

She had an IFS. Akito and Uribatake gasped. "When did Kanchou get the implant!" The pink robot made it's way toward the launch tunnel. Inez's frantic window appeared before Akito. "You can still Jump! Visualize the inside of that cockpit!" Akito closed his eyes and light blue lines began to appear on his body. Of course he could visualize it. It was easy. He'd seen the inside of his Aesti so many times. For the first time, Jumping was as easy as breathing. He disappeared immediately, making the mechanics gasp, seeing him Jump for the very first time.

He reappeared in the seat of the robot, with Yurika suddenly sitting on his lap. She immediately turned around and started attack Akito, the two of them screaming together.

~*~

Genichiro had never heard anything like that in his life. "What… was that?" Genpachiro's face appeared on the communications screen. "It sounds like a couple arguing over an open communications channel." Genichiro's eyebrows shot up.

~*~

"Let go!"

"You let go!"

"Dammit Yurika, start using your brain and stop being so stubborn!"

Yurika was in tears. "Can't you see that I was only trying to help you and Ai? I know that you feel sorry for what happened and that you really love her, which is why I've been trying to turn back time!"

"Baka!" spat Akito. Yurika started to sob.

~*~

"Incidentally, I've been relaying the radio feed from Tenkawa-san's Aestivalis to all of the ships in the area," informed Ruri. Inez smiled. "So this is the lovers' spat that will determine the fate of the universe." Omoikane nodded. "Uh huh."

~*~

"I'm not stupid! Stop calling me that!" Yurika turned away from Akito and buried her face in her hands. Akito instantly felt bad for her.

"Yurika… I watched the last episode of Gekiganger last night. It was the worst one of the series. But still… I felt shivers running through my spine when I saw the two robots fighting side by side for the greater good."

"Fighting side by side… sounds kind of nice." A small smile appeared on Yurika's face. Akito nodded. "Fighting for peace and hot-blooded passion… I guess that's when I realized that… the side of me that loves Gekiganger…"

"Is the part of you that's in love with me!" cried Yurika. Akito glared at her. "I was going to make this very profound speech, dammit! But… since you mentioned it, yes I do, you nut bar." Yurika simply smiled. Akio raised an eyebrow. "You're supposed to say something back, you know." Yurika was confused. "Excuse me? You know how I feel! I love you with all my heart, Akito!"

Akito was dumbfounded. "That's the first time I heard you say it."

"It is not!"

"Yes it is!"

"No way!"

"I'm sure it is!"

"It is not!"

"Yes it is!" Before Yurika could continue their stupid argument, Akito kissed her, taking her by surprise.

~*~

As soon as they were sure Akito and Yurika wouldn't be listening, Itsuki and Hikaru flooded Gai's communications. He looked just slightly peeved, but not as upset as they expected. "Jiro… are you okay?"

"I'm fine. Why should I give a fuck what Akito does? That bastard could fuck the whole world and I won't care." Hikaru flinched at his tone, and he softened slightly. "I'm sorry. I should cuss you out… it's not you, it's him."

Itsuki nodded. "After we finish Jumping, we'll all get together and have an Anti-Akito-and-Yurika party. All of us but those assholes. How does that sound?"

"That's sounds good to me!" cried Hikaru. "I'll relay the idea to Ryoko, Izumi, and Jun. God knows he needs it." Her window disappeared, leaving Itsuki and Gai alone on their channel. Gai sighed. "I'm trying to be angry with him… but it's hard." Itsuki nodded, slipping into 'Listen' mode. "He just… how could he do that to me? And this? Does he give a fuck about how anyone else feels?"

Gai shook his head. "No. He made a choice. It comes down to whether you choose for something to die or not to die. I chose for or relationship to not die. He chose for it to die. And for that, fuck him."

~*~

"Ruri's Navigation Logs, March 2, 2198. Because of the Jumping computer being on the ship, we were able to Jump far away. Without the computer anywhere near Earth, Mars, and Jupiter, the war may go on, but the Earth and Jupiter won't be able to do much more than growl at each other for a few months. I asked Miss Fressange whether or not it was truly necessary for Tenkawa-san and Kanchou to kiss to Jump the ship, but she said I would understand when I was older. Even though it seems that this is the end, many things remain a mystery. Such as the strange actions that have been going on around the pilots, how Kanchou got an IFS without an implant, the reason for the Ancient Martians had Ai give the plate to her older self, and who the Ancient Martians and Jupiterians were. But I suppose these will all be explained much later. In the inevitable sequel. Now, all we have to worry about is where we are. Does anyone know?"

~*~

OWARI

~*~

A/N: I told you that was… not-so-stunning! Alright, first of all, How did you like my fanfic? Yes, I understand that it was long. 190 pages in Word to be exact. Whew. Anyway, I hoped you like it. I sure did. Now, to give credit where credit is due. (ahem) I'd like to thank Kia Asamiya ultimately, for creating Nadesico, but how about some normal, everyday people to thank? I'd also like to thank Peter Tartara at Project Schiaparelli, I would have died if not for your episode summaries! I'd like to thank my AIM buddies for listening to my writer's block issues, not to mention the writer's block community on livejournal… And of course, my main readers! Sivi-chan, Shadow, Bearit, Greg (you stalker), and everyone else that I haven't mention that I can't think of! I wouldn't have gone on if not for you people! Now. (ahem) The sequel! ^^ Get ready for Alternate Universe-ing! (watches everyone run away) damn you people! Well, it will certainly explain many things, and I can't wait to write it. But first, I need a rest! Review me as always… I'll see you later! ^^

January 20, 2002 – September 2, 2002 


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